Digest: Death toll reaches 50 in Taiwan derailment

Derailed train in tunnel

Death toll reaches 50 in Taiwan derailment; construction supervisor arrested, released on bond At least 50 are now dead as a result of Taiwan’s worst train crash in 70 years, which occurred Friday when an express train hit a truck that had slid down an embankment from a building site. Reuters reports the manager of […]

Read More…

Four Class I railroads urge more stringent regulatory review of CP-KCS merger

Logos for Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern

WASHINGTON — BNSF Railway, Canadian National, and Union Pacific have joined Norfolk Southern in asking federal regulators to apply the more stringent 2001 merger review rules to Canadian Pacific’s proposed acquisition of Kansas City Southern. As the smallest Class I, KCS received a waiver from the current merger review rules, and CP and KCS have […]

Read More…

Several parties ask regulators to judge CP-KCS merger under current rules

Logos for Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern

WASHINGTON — Several trade associations, a major agricultural shipper, and Norfolk Southern today asked the Surface Transportation Board to review Canadian Pacific’s proposed acquisition of Kansas City Southern under the more stringent 2001 merger rules. CP and KCS have said they would seek to have the merger reviewed under the old rules, although executives contend […]

Read More…

Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern deal gains early support

Logos for Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern

CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern have rounded up broad support for their proposed merger, which would create the first railroad to operate in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The railways announced yesterday that they have received support statements from 259 shippers, other railroads, economic development authorities, and ports. Shipper sentiment will […]

Read More…

Largest short line operator offers support of proposed CP-KCS merger

Genesee & Wyoming logo

WASHINGTON — Canadian Pacific’s proposed acquisition of Kansas City Southern has picked up its first support from another railroad company. Shortline railroad operator Genesee & Wyoming has told the U.S. Surface Transportation Board that it backs the merger of the smallest Class I systems. “From our perspective, the proposed transaction should provide improved service options […]

Read More…

Shippers group to challenge easier path for CP-KCS merger (second update)

Logos for Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern

WASHINGTON — A major shipper group plans to challenge the waiver that would permit Canadian Pacific’s proposed acquisition of Kansas City Southern to be reviewed under the Surface Transportation Board’s old, less restrictive merger rules. The National Industrial Transportation League said today that the CP-KCS deal would ultimately harm rail competition. “Based on the significant loss […]

Read More…

Canadian Pacific, Kansas City Southern seek regulatory approval of merger within 10 months

Logos for Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern

WASHINGTON — Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern plan to file their merger application with U.S. regulators on or around June 28 and have proposed a 10-month review of the deal that would create the first railroad to link the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The railroads told the Surface Transportation Board that their proposed review timetable […]

Read More…

CP ordered not to leave trains unattended after incident near site of fatal 2019 wreck

Canadian Pacific Railway beaver logo

Transport Canada has ordered Canadian Pacific to stop leaving trains unattended without setting handbrakes near the site of 2019’s fatal runaway accident on Kicking Horse Pass after a February incident, the CBC reports, but the railroad is disputing the regulator’s assertion that the event in question constituted “an immediate threat.” In question is a Feb. […]

Read More…

Analysts see growth potential, but CP-KCS merger may face skepticism from shippers, regulators

Train with tank cars rounding curve.

The Canadian Pacific acquisition of Kansas City Southern should help the railroads develop new business — including diverting truck traffic to rail — but the $29 billion deal announced on Sunday could face regulatory hurdles and opposition from shippers and other Class I systems. CP and KCS executives touted the potential for traffic growth that would […]

Read More…

Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern say merger is all about growth

Logos for Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern

CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern executives say combining their railroads into the first system linking Canada, the U.S., and Mexico will generate significant traffic growth across all commodities. “What a historic day,” CP CEO Keith Creel said during a Sunday afternoon investor webcast where executives touted the $29 billion deal to create […]

Read More…

Canadian Pacific, Kansas City Southern merger to redraw Class I railroad map

Map of the combined Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern system

CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific’s proposed acquisition of Kansas City Southern will unite the two smallest Class I railroads and create the only North American system that will operate in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The combination of the 12,500-mile CP and 6,700-mile KCS, announced today, is a classic end-to-end merger: The railways currently interchange in […]

Read More…

CP amends Creel contract to keep CEO into 2026

Man gesturing while speaking

CALGARY — On the same day that Canadian Pacific revealed its plan to purchase Kansas City Southern, the company’s board of directors has announced it has amended its contract with President and CEO Keith Creel to keep him in his current position until at least early 2026. The amendment addresses incentive compensation, the company says. […]

Read More…