Metra, Chicago suburbs see few concerns addressed in merger decision

WASHINGTON — Commuter rail operator Metra and a group of Chicago suburbs received few of the conditions they had sought when the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger was approved on Wednesday. But that doesn’t mean their concerns couldn’t be addressed later, Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin J. Oberman said during a Wednesday press conference, thanks […]

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STB schedules Wednesday announcement on CP-KCS merger

WASHINGTON — A decision appears to be at hand in the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger. The Surface Transportation Board has announced a Wednesday press conference at 11 a.m. EDT in which board Chairman Martin Oberman will deliver remarks “regarding the agency’s decision on the proposed acquisition” of KCS by CP, followed by a Q&A […]

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Amtrak seeks expansion of Crescent section to Dallas-Ft. Worth

NEW ORLEANS — Amtrak will apply for a federal grant that, if approved by the Federal Railroad Administration, would pay for 80% of a study of track and station improvements necessary to extend a section of the New York-New Orleans Crescent between Meridian, Miss., and Fort Worth, Texas. Nicole Bucich, Amtrak’s vice president of network […]

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Amtrak Crescent day trip to Meridian, Mississippi

Amtrak Crescent day trip to Meridian Taking an Amtrak Crescent day trip to Meridian, Mississippi is possible as Amtrak’s Crescent schedule provides a great opportunity for passenger rail fans to experience one of Amtrak’s premier long-distance passenger trains on a day trip originating at New Orleans and traveling northeast to Meridian, Miss., and return. This […]

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Massachusetts senator calls on STB to reject CP-KCS merger

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), in a letter to Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin J. Oberman, has asked that the STB deny the merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern, saying the merger “would reduce competition in an already highly consolidated market and could cost increased shipping costs.” Warren, in the letter […]

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STB approves appointment of Batory as KCS trustee

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board on Saturday approved the appointment of Ronald L. Batory as trustee of the CP-Kansas City Southern Voting Trust, succeeding the late David Starling. All five members of the board approved the appointment, although board member Robert Primus did so with a concurrence that maintained his objection to the standard […]

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CP nominates former FRA administrator as KCS trustee

WASHINGTON – Canadian Pacific has asked federal regulators to approve the appointment of former Federal Railroad Administration administrator and longtime railroad executive Ron Batory as trustee of the CP-Kansas City Southern voting trust. The move comes after former KCS CEO Dave Starling, who had been serving as trustee, died last month. “Mr. Batory is eminently […]

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FRA makes safety recommendations for hotbox detector warnings

WASHINGTON – The Federal Railroad Administration today encouraged railroads to improve the way they collect and use data from wayside hotbox detectors in order to prevent catastrophic derailments like the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern hazardous materials wreck in East Palestine, Ohio. “Preliminary investigation of recent train derailments indicates the cause of, or contributing factor to, […]

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