1.   And then there is the worry that service may deteriorate as the merged railroad struggles to cut costs.

2.   Calhoun said he believed orders would plunge as newly merged railroads, such as Burlington Northern Inc. and Santa Fe Pacific Corp., cut costs by reducing overlapping operations.

3.   Later in the week, the board is to hear from more customers and rivals of the proposed merged railroad, as well as labor leaders and financial analysts.

4.   Regulators suggest that the merged railroad should have the capacity and management skills to avoid letting local disruptions turn into wide chaos.

5.   And the merged railroad must provide a plan for dealing with service problems that could result.

6.   The merged railroad would eclipse the recently combined Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Pacific railroads and give Union Pacific a stronger presence in the southwestern part of the country.