Charleston’s claim to railroad fame comes into focus as Norfolk Southern Corp. considers a merger with Union Pacific that would form a transcontinental giant

Union Pacific Corp. could reach an agreement to acquire Norfolk Southern Corp. and create a transcontinental rail behemoth as soon as early next week, people familiar with the matter said.The deal, which would be the largest deal ever in the rail industry,

Union Pacific , the largest U.S. railroad operator, could reach an agreement to acquire rival Norfolk Southern as soon as early next week, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.