Norfolk Southern, the railroad company with the most famous derailment of this century near a small Ohio town, has agreed to an $85 billion buyout. What’s more, an unconventional personnel move by President Donald Trump could keep regulators from derailing the merger.

Buyer Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern announced the cash and stock deal in late July. It would connect over 50,000 “route miles” of track in 43 states, with links to about 100 U.S. ports. The result of this transaction, which could be finalized as early as 2027 with regulatory approval, would be the Union Pacific Transcontinental Railroad.