Digest: Santa Cruz transportation commission puts off reconsideration of rail transit plan

Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission logo

Santa Cruz commission declines to revisit vote on rail proposal The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission has elected to delay further action on the California coastal county’s proposed 32-mile rail-and-trail project, a reflection of the strong divisions that have developed over the possibility of building a rail transit system on the former Southern Pacific […]

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Digest: East Broad Top receives $100,000 grant for Colgate Grove rehabilitation

Picnic area in trees with covered seating areas

Allegheny Foundation grant will aid East Broad Top rehab of picnic area Pittsburgh’s Allegheny Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant to the East Broad Top Foundation to support rehabilitation of the Colgate Picnic Grove, the turnaround point for EBT steam excursions since 1961. The wye at Colgate Grove originated as a spur serving a clay […]

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Canadian Pacific, Canadian National weigh in on approval of CP voting trust for Kansas City Southern (updated)

Logos for Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, and Kansas City Southern

Canadian Pacific and Canadian National both reacted positively Thursday evening to a Surface Transportation Board decision allowing CP to place Kansas City Southern into a voting trust as part of its merger plans. CP calls it a “critical milestone” in its bid, while CN says it is encouraged the voting trust that is part of […]

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Canadian National plans major upgrade to IC-KCS route to Kansas City

Freight train curves through town behind depot

MONTREAL – As part of its proposed acquisition of Kansas City Southern, Canadian National envisions spending $250 million to create an upgraded route linking Kansas City, Mo., with Eastern Canada via Springfield, Ill. The big prize in a CN-KCS merger is connecting Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. But the combined CN-KCS route to Kansas City would […]

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Digest: Wabtec battery-electric locomotive named a ‘World Changing Idea’

Red and black locomotive with full-width carbody to accomodate batteries

Wabtec wins award for FLXdrive locomotive, Golden Stevie Award; gains contract for equipment in India Wabtec’s FLXdrive battery-electric locomotive has been named a winner of Fast Company magazine’s World Changing Ideas for 2021 in the transportation category. The locomotive, which recently concluded more than 13,000 miles of testing in Southern California, uses more than 18,000 […]

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New releases continue CP, CN efforts to gain support for KCS merger bids

Logos for Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, and Kansas City Southern

In Monday morning’s latest installment in the regulatory and public-relations efforts to boost their respective bids for Kansas City Southern, Canadian Pacific and Canadian National have each issued new press release. CP’s cites what it terms “mounting opposition” to the CN-KCS merger proposal, while CN has released an open letter to “the Kansas City Southern […]

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Buffett talks about Canadian pursuit of KCS, plus BNSF narrowing gap with UP

Train with BNSF locomotive passes Kansas City Southern engines

OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway corporate parent Berkshire Hathaway is closely watching the battle for Kansas City Southern. Canadian Pacific and Canadian National have dueling bids in place for the smallest Class I railroad, with an eye toward creating the first system to link Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. “Either of those companies acquiring Kansas […]

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Digest: Canadian Pacific seeks to have CN-KCS merger judged by more stringent rules

Canadian Pacific Railway beaver logo

Canadian Pacific tells STB CN-KCS deal should not receive waiver from 2001 merger rules Canadian Pacific has asked the Surface Transportation Board to rule the proposed merger of Canadian National and Kansas City Southern does not qualify for a waiver from more stringent merger rules adopted in 2001. The STB has already granted that waiver […]

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New Louisiana short line makes great strides for Class I carload traffic: Analysis

Louisiana shortline’s first train sits on tracks on startup day.

Dutchtown Southern, the smallest railroad you’ve never heard of, just might be the biggest story in railroading. The Watco short line began operations in January on 1.76 miles of track leased from Canadian National in Geismar, La. Located some 20 miles south of Baton Rouge along a bend in the Mississippi River, the Dutchtown Southern […]

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CN’s final GMD1 locomotives retired, but one goes to preservation group

Black-and-white striped locomotive pulling two vintage passenger cars

ST. JACOBS, Ontario — Canadian National has retired its final two GMD1 locomotives as of April 28, but at least one will be preserved. As many as 14 were on the roster until recently, with fewer actually in service. But the numbers for the Winnipeg- and Toronto-based locomotives dwindled quickly, as CN parked the venerable […]

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How will KCS board weigh competing merger offers from CP and CN?

Kansas City Southern Lines logo

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Southern board of directors will have to weigh dueling bids for the railway, pitting Canadian Pacific’s friendly $29 billion deal against Canadian National’s unsolicited $33.7 billion offer. Analysts say that CP’s bid, while lower, is almost certain to gain regulatory approval. CN’s bid is more attractive for investors, but […]

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Canadian Pacific can’t win a KCS bidding war, CEO Creel says

Logos for Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern

Canadian Pacific CEO Keith Creel yesterday told a shipper group that his railroad can’t win a bidding war for Kansas City Southern. Creel also wouldn’t rule out cooperating with Canadian National and KCS on some level, and said that if CN and KCS were to merge, leaving CP as the smallest Class I railroad, CP […]

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