CPKC STB Hearing Recap (Part 2) - Shortline's Rail News & Comment Episode 11

[@Shortline819]

CORRECTION: the STB can rule on the merger 30 days after the EIS is put in the federal register, which occurs a few days after it is released. The decision date should be around March 6th. Today (January 27th) the STB released its final environmental draft report for the CPKC merger. It found no significant impact. Under the current rules, the STB must wait 30 days to rule on the merger which should put the decision date on February 26th. If approved, the merger goes into effect 30 days later on March 28th.

[@LukeLovesTrains-Mr.RailYard]

I think that now the CPKC merger more likely going to be approved by STB. I think it is going to be sad to see KCS go. But I this merger is going to bring more benefits to North American economy.

[@TheOofertaffy]

If it does I will be happy, I felt as if CN stole the spotlight for CP and now they're finally making a comeback. Hopefully this is the turning point for CP. and by stealing the spotlight I mean, CP is much more historically important to Canada seeing as CP was the first coast to coast railroad for Canada and laid the foundation for rail traffic for Canada, then CN came along and blew up in net worth and revenue in half the time it took for CP to get where they were.

[@Shortline819]

CP really did lag behind CN during the 1990s and early 2000s. While CN was off buying a whole bunch of shortline and regionals, trying to expand it's network. CP was seemingly contempt to keep the network it had. Hell, they even considered selling the Soo Line at one point. CP's purchace of the DM&E/IC&E network in 2008 helped but was far from a proper response to what CN was doing. I do compliment CP's current management for trying to "close the network gap" between them and CN. They bought the Central Maine & Quebec to regain access to the Maratimes and the Port of Saint John. (This has allowed CP to steal Hapag-Lloyd and KIA contracts from CN.) They bought the Detroit River Tunnel with the eventual plan to heighten it for double stacks. (Could be the first play in a scheme to aquire their own Chicago-Detroit route.) And now they are buying KCS, with the benefits being rather clear. I hope they continue.

[@johnbeaulieu2404]

CP was a part of the EMP program, until UP kicked them out. CP owned some of the EMP container fleet, you can see green EMP relettered for CP. The one operational change will be to move the crew change point from the Joint Agency Yard to the IFG Intermodal facility. With former CP Ottumwa crews running the additional mileage.

[@Shortline819]

I stand corrected about EMP.

[@hortenciogomez5193]

This is exactly why NS is concerned about the services of Meridian speedway in regards to the CP-KCS merger. It’s weird that UP hasn’t completely kicked KCS out of the EMP program, but keep in mind that there are KCS lanes that the EMP already doesn’t serve like KC-Shreveport, Shreveport-NOLA, and Shreveport/Wylie to Laredo. I hope UP either lets CPKC use the EMP strictly for NS bound intermodal on the speedway for Wylie, or that CPKC gives NS trackage rights on Shreveport-Wylie line as a condition of the merger, just so that NS can still use those EMP containers.

[@360garrenzo]

UP has replaced CP with CN for the EMP intermodal pool, due to the CPKC merger approval.

[@Professional_Foaming]

Hello love the content but what can we expect for traffic increases around the Minnesota and Iowa area will there grain or ethanol shipping or is that a thing we don't know

[@johnbeaulieu2404]

Besides former KCS locomotives becoming more common in the Twin Cities, there will be an additional Intermodal train between the Twin Cities and Mexico City. Over time there could be more bulk trains moving south to KCS and KCSdeM points, that will all depend on CPKC marketing.

[@Shortline819]

Yes! Acording to CP the merger will result in an increase of 3 to 8 trains between Glennwood, Minnesota and Sabula, Iowa. The Soo Line north of Glennwood and CP's branch lines in Southern Minnesota and Northern Iowa will see an increase of 1 to 3 trains.

[@MetraFan81]

I really hope the merger doesn't happen, but it seems all arrows point to the merger being approved. This is just another move to make the CEOs richer. Class Is are run by careless CEOs who only care about their profits, and not the condition of their workers or rail lines.

[@N5REL]

Little housekeeping here: Wylie is pronounced "Y-Lee".

[@Shortline819]

Thanks