Canadian National questions foundation of CP-KCS merger application

Train with Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific locomotives passes one with Canadian Naitonal power

WASHINGTON — Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern have vastly overestimated traffic and revenue growth that would flow from their proposed combination, making the rest of their merger application a house of cards, Canadian National claims in a regulatory filing. The CP-KCS merger application is so “riddled with errors” that the Surface Transportation Board should not […]

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The Lionel no. 3429 helicopter car

Lionel's no. 3429 helicopter car

The Lionel no. 3429 helicopter car was the company’s answer to get more kids to buy its products in the late 1950s. It was an attempt to get away from a product line the public regarded as old-fashioned. The company’s creative minds decided to make items Lionel could link the trains to popular military and […]

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BNSF Railway reports record financial results for 2021

Coal train approaches with another visible in the distance

OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway produced record profits in 2021 amid broad growth in traffic and revenue. For the year, BNSF’s operating income surged 13.7%, to $8.8 billion, as revenue rose 11.6%, to $22.5 billion, the railroad’s corporate parent, Berkshire Hathaway, reported on Saturday. The railroad’s operating ratio improved 0.7 points to a record 60.9%. […]

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DOT report critical of railroads: PSR, rising rates, and mergers

Train yard

WASHINGTON – A U.S. DOT report critical of railroads discusses pandemic-related supply chain problems and cites concerns with Precision Scheduled Railroading, Class I railroad consolidation, and rising railroad rates. Among the recommendations in the 141-page report, released on Thursday in response to a Biden administration executive order issued a year ago: Increased regulation of freight […]

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Chicago suburban group aims to ‘stop’ CP-KCS merger

Commuter train arrives at two-story station

ITASCA, Ill. — Some two months after announcing plans to do so, eight western Chicago suburbs have formalized their formation of a coalition to address concerns over the impact of the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger. And while many communities along the routes of the CPKC, the company that would be formed by the merger, […]

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Weekly rail traffic figures skewed by 2021 weather woes

Weekly table showing U.S. carload traffic by commodity plus overall intermodal totals

WASHINGTON — The latest weekly U.S. rail traffic figures show a massive increase over the same week last year — a reflection of a week in 2021 when rail traffic experienced massive weather disruptions. Statistics from the Association of American Railroads show U.S. railroads handled 497,822 carloads and intermodal units for the week ending Feb. […]

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CSX asks for delay in Amtrak Gulf Coast hearing

Surface Transportation Board logo

WASHINGTON — CSX Transportation has asked for a delay in the evidentiary phase of the Surface Transportation Board hearing over Amtrak Gulf Coast service — but the public will not be informed why. A filing posted to the STB website today (Wednesday, Feb. 23) says the railroad “does not likely make this request, given the […]

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Citing ‘false response’ to information request, Metra asks for more time to comment on CP-KCS merger

Train with red locomotive passing station

WASHINGTON — Chicago commuter operator Metra has asked the Surface Transportation Board for more time to file comments on the proposed Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger, saying CP had originally “filed a false response” to Metra’s request for information, and only recently provided an incomplete set of documents Metra says it needs to assess the […]

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