NEW YORK (AP) — Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. has agreed to buy Kansas City Southern for $25 billion in cash and stock, creating the first rail network linking the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The deal values Kansas City Southern at $275 a share, based on Friday’s stock prices. Kansas City Southern shares closed Friday at $224 on the New York Stock Exchange.

The acquisition would need the approval of a U.S. regulator, the Surface Transportation Board. The companies said they expect the process to take until mid-2022.

The combined company would operate about 20,000 miles of railway, employ 20,000 people and generate annual revenue of about $8.7 billion. In a joint stat

They also said the deal would allow their customers seamless transportation throughout much of the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The three countries last year entered into a revamped regional trade pact, negotiated by President Donald Trump, that is expected to encourage trade and investment across North America. Canadian Pacific CEO Keith Creel said that the so-called U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement “makes the efficient integration of the continent’s supply chains more important than ever before.”