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STB Chairman Oberman throws cold water on further railroad mergers

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  • Member since
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  • From: Guelph, Ontario
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Posted by Ulrich on Friday, May 28, 2021 11:21 AM

Just a wild guess on my part, but I think we'll have a decision on the voting trust late this afternoon. 

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Posted by beaulieu on Thursday, May 27, 2021 10:42 PM

Ulrich

How does the STB come to a decision? I'm assuming there are x number of members on the board, and they vote and the majority rules. Is that how it works? 

Yes that is how it works. The decision on the CP Voting Trust was split, the majority approved it. Chairman Oberman was not the dissenting vote.

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Posted by Ulrich on Thursday, May 27, 2021 7:28 PM

How does the STB come to a decision? I'm assuming there are x number of members on the board, and they vote and the majority rules. Is that how it works? 

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Posted by MidlandMike on Thursday, May 27, 2021 7:15 PM

Some oil/gas pipelines between western Canada and eastern Canada take a shortcut thru the US around the Great Lakes.  One that crosses under 5 miles of open waters between Lakes Michigan and Huron has become controversial.  The Canadian pipeline company has brought up international agreements that say that the intermediate country (US) can not interfere in pipeline transit.  I fear that the same legal theory might be extended to a Mexico-US-Canada rail merger.  In the KCS merger, I think any Mexican subsidiary should be spun off or remain neutral.

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Thursday, May 27, 2021 5:10 PM

Honestly, as long as someone doesn't try to merge the Strasburg and dieselize it I really don't pay much attention to mergers.

However, the "Surf Board" chairman's probably correct. 

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Posted by Lithonia Operator on Thursday, May 27, 2021 5:06 PM

As a railfan, I personally think it woud be great if KCS remained independent.

 

Still in training.


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  • From: Guelph, Ontario
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STB Chairman Oberman throws cold water on further railroad mergers
Posted by Ulrich on Thursday, May 27, 2021 4:08 PM

STB chairman Oberman's letter today suggests (to me at least) that there won't be any mergers in the near future. His letter (Trains newswire) makes it pretty clear that the STB doesn't think more mergers are a good idea. He also took direct aim at JJ Ruest's comment that single line service is needed to effectively move freight from road to rail. Will be interesting to see how CP/CN/KCS respond.. 

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