I've asked this before and have received no real answer; how is it that Canadian railroads have so much penetration into U.S. markets while U.S. railroads have virtually none in Canada?
The 2 primary Canadian Railroads CN and CP are both going strong, and there would be little to gain for a US railroad to buy into any smaller roads. On the other hand, there have been many US railroads that have been up for grabs and the Canadian roads have used that to expand their territory.
Interesting how CP isn't even matching the CN offer. I get that CP doesn't have the deep pockets CN does, and does not wish to start a bidding war (a' la eBay), but I hope the STB agrees that KCS/CN is not what's best for either country.
The whole thing should be rejected by the STB, et al. We are down to a mere hand full of Class One companies. I keep wondering when and how the old laws on monopolies simply melted away. Competition among these outfits, for your business via rails? Today it essentially is gone at this level. We have created miles and miles of trails, and hoards of trucks. Unless it is an easy cherry for them to pick, forget wanting a Class One to be a part of it. Some salvation exists in the Class Two and Three companies created or spun off. Many of these actually do what the Class One companies no longer do- actively work to attract shippers.
Good point--class 1s are more interested in picking up a loaded unit train somewhere, taking it to destination and little more. Carload business on class 1s beyond the major terminals is drying up, and they aren't doing much to retain the business they do have. It's sad, but the operations on the Northgate Branch in ND, at least until the Niobe elevator shut down, were carload based and the RR performed switching to the elevator's personalized needs. With the only shipper for the branch now at Northgate, carload business exists, but since it's loaded north of the border, and there's no Canadian rail connection, it's all transloaded from trucks. My gut feeling is BNSF doesn't do the work except grab loads and drop off empties. The Northgate terminal is also a unit train origin, furthering my earlier point.
I read that CP hopes its bid shortfall will be overlooked if shareholders realize that ownership by CP will likely receive less scrutiny and delay by the STB. I think CN is paying too much and will face an uphill battle with the STB, resulting in give-backs (such as trackage rights and line sales) to retain competition. We'll see I guess ......
Be it CP or CN, if either gets its hands on KCS we will have a "Nation Divided". That's right people, the United States will be cut in half with Canadian owned rails being the division point.
like everything else now a days POLITICALLY run we the people simply are disposable pawns end of story.........
This is one of the big concerns. CN and KCS both serve Baton Rouge and points south - who gets to keep their line and who doesn't? Whose yard remains open and whose gets shuttered? And that's not the only place this could happen in a joined system.
My 'feeling' is that CN may have the superior 'bid', however, the STB will knock down the CN-KS as being anticompetitive with CN already have the N-S franchise in middle America.
CN's Board of Directors should get a clue and ditch their plans to take KCS. News of the STB's ruling resulted in CN's shares moving up 8% today. CN's shares have been clobbered for months ever since this nonsense surfaced. Likewise, CP's shares fell 4-1/2% today as their debt will climb if the CP plan prevails. KCS's shares also fell 4-1/2% today, indicating that bidding insanity has reached its limit.
There's reporting that the #2 institutional investor in CN by volume of shares owned is publicly calling for the removal of the CN leadership by the board. This is going to get a tad ugly . . .
Glad to hear it. I own a handful of CN shares (I owned IC and found my way into CN upon IC's demise) and would fully support that.
