CHICAGO — Short line and regional railroads interchanging with Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City say it’s business as usual — for now — despite the growing threat of a railroad strike and lockout later this week between the Canadian railroads and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference.
Michael Martinez, the director of business development at the Belt Railway Co. of Chicago, the country’s largest intermediate switching company, says they have not yet seen any operational effects in respect to CN and CPKC inbound and outbound scheduled trains. The BRC interchanges with both Canadian railroads.
“As of [Tuesday], IAIS is not seeing any effects from the Canadian labor issues,” Iowa Interstate President and CEO Joe Parsons says in a statement to Trains News Wire.
“However, we are monitoring the situation closely and will adjust accordingly, if it becomes necessary,” he says.
Iowa Interstate interchanges directly or indirectly with the CN at Chicago; Peoria, Ill.; Iowa City, Iowa; and Council Bluffs, Iowa; and with CPKC at Chicago; Davenport, Iowa; and Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Short line conglomerate Watco, who has a number of short line and terminal railroads whose traffic base originates or terminates on Canadian railroads, declined to comment.
News Wire also reached out to Ontario Northland and the Twin Cities & Western railroads for comment, but had not yet received a response.
On Sunday, both CN and CPKC delivered formal 72-hour lockout notices that would take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 22, paving the way for widespread work stoppages [see “Teamsters Canada Rail Conference delivers strike notice …,” News Wire, Aug. 18, 2024]. CN also said it would continue its phased and progressive shutdown of its network, issuing additional embargoes this week.
