Possible CP-NS merger and Amtrak

[CHamilton]

Canadian Pacific Said to Explore Norfolk Southern Takeover

 

[CCC1007]

Again?

 

[CHamilton]

Again?

Yes. Unless regulation changes on both sides of the border, I suspect it's close to inevitable.

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/11/09/norfolk-southern-canadian-pacific-shares-jump-amid-deal-report.html

Wonder how this might affect Amtrak?

 

[jis]

United Pacific Railroad.... now there's a new one Must have been a merger between Union pacific Railroad and United Airlines while we were not looking

Well if CP management remains in place I suspect Amtrak is screwed, unfortunately. Suddenly CSX will start smelling like Roses!

 

[MikefromCrete]

Hunter Harrison, CP's president, has no interest other than the bottom line. If Amtrak gets in his way of a lower operating ratio, then watch out. On the other hand, CP does a great job handling the Hiawathas.

 

[MattW]

If it were the other way around, I'd love it. Instead, I hate it!

 

[Railroad Bill]

Just when I was getting used to seeing NS horses on the Horseshoe Curve, now they want to put red and white locos from Canada on it. Oh, the horror of it all..

 

[CHamilton]

In order for this to happen, it will require approval from several government agencies. So this would be a good opportunity for passengers to demand better treatment for passenger rail.

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

I just wonder what the new name would be? Norfolk Pacific? Canadian Southern? Or will NS just vanish into CP. If this does go through it could result in the largest North American railroad.

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

On further reading this sounds like a very serious proposal to create a true coast to coast transcon with the port of Vancouver taking some of the pressure off of the port of long beach.... The real issue will be government approval.....

 

[Acela150]

It won't happen.. The Federal Regulators won't approve it.. I haven't looked at my work e-mail so I can't give any info on that side of things.

 

[jis]

Canadian Southern X - CSX Wait! That's already taken.

 

[Hal]

It won't happen.. The Federal Regulators won't approve it.. I haven't looked at my work e-mail so I can't give any info on that side of things.

If you don't want it to happen ( I am on the don't want it to happen side ), those opposed have to fight it. Don't depend on government regulators. They could approve it if there is not strong opposition.

 

[HenryK]

CP handles the Hiawathas? I thought that was UP.

 

[Eric S]

CP handles the Hiawathas? I thought that was UP.

Yep, CP trackage from Milwaukee to Rondout, Metra trackage from Rondout to Chicago.

 

[Dutchrailnut]

CP is to broke for deal, they just sold 300 miles to NS to raise cash, but CP likes to spread rumors, first CSX now NS just to raise stock prices and raise cash.

don't waste your money on their stocks cause it will tank again.

 

[Carolina Special]

I own several railroad stocks and would prefer not to see this happen.

IMHO, if this deal goes through, Union Pacific and BNSF will bid for CSX. Union Pacific will probably win because Buffett won't overpay. BNSF will then wind up with CNI. These three giants, along with little KSU, will have such oligopoly pricing power that the government will eventually step in with some pre-Staggers type regulation and the value of the mergers to shareholders will be negated. Maybe, just maybe, Amtrak gets some concessions to help passenger rail service in the process of all this.

But it is still better for society that the big mergers stop here.

 

[keelhauled]

BNSF already tried to merge with CN in the late 1990s. I do not recall which railroad initiated the effort, though it obviously failed to go through; the STB was unhappy with the idea, which came in the wake of the disastrous UP-SP merger and in the midst of the slightly less messy Conrail split. Incidentally, at that point Hunter Harrison, now CP's president, had just joined CN when they acquired the Illinois Central, his prior employer.

 

[Thirdrail7]

I wonder if another railroad will try to get involved and split NS's territory. As for Amtrak, NS keeps their rails in reasonable shape. I wonder if CP will do the same, especially after the spend a lot of money obtaining the territory.

 

[Anderson]

If this were to go through the first thing I would do is dump my NS stock. I've heard nothing but crap about Hunter Harrison, be it on here or from railroaders (there's a joke about everybody having a Hunter Harrison story). He's rammed CP stock through the roof, but that's mainly through buying a huge amount of it himself.

That being said, I don't see it happening. CSX was probably the more likely to be bought of the two (CSX/NS) and that dog wouldn't hunt.

 

[NS VIA Fan]

CP handles the Hiawathas? I thought that was UP.

Yep, CP trackage from Milwaukee to Rondout, Metra trackage from Rondout to Chicago.

CP also handles the Empire Builder between Chicago (Glenview) and St. Paul/Minneapolis with a generally good performance compared to BNSF.

http://www.amtrak.com/empire-builder-train&mode=perf&overrideDefaultTemplate=OTPPageHorizontalRouteOverview

And on a side note…..tomorrow being November 11th (Remembrance Day/Veterans Day) CP halts all trains system wide for 2 minutes silence at 11am….followed by a long horn blast to honour Veterans.

http://www.cpr.ca/en/about-cp-site/Documents/cpr-and-war.pdf

I wonder if the Builder also halts for 2 minutes? The e/b train will be on the CPR near La Crosse WI.

 

[cirdan]

I just wonder what the new name would be? Norfolk Pacific? Canadian Southern? Or will NS just vanish into CP. If this does go through it could result in the largest North American railroad.

Canfolk Pathern?

Norfadian Pacithern?

 

[Alex M.]

Why not the name Southern Pacific?

 

[jis]

Why not the name Southern Pacific?

UP might have an opinion regarding that