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Economy

Canadian Pacific Negotiates with Cities RE: Kansas City Southern Merger

Screenshot of an interactive, project area map of the proposed Canadian Pacific Railway and Kansas City Southern
Surface Transportation Board
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Surface Transportation Board, https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/665e5f3b1412406ea49454f573aefd35
Screenshot of an interactive, project area map of the proposed Canadian Pacific Railway and Kansas City Southern

Cities located along the Canadian Pacific Railway continue to negotiate with the company about its proposed merger with Kansas City Southern.

So far, Bettendorf, Iowa and Hampshire, Illinois are the only two cities that have approved settlements with the railroad.

Andy Cummings, Community Relations Manager for Canadian Pacific Railway
Michelle O'Neill
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WVIK News
Andy Cummings, Community Relations Manager for Canadian Pacific Railway

Andy Cummings is the Community Relations Manager for Canadian Pacific. He says the $31 billion merger will be good for the economy and the environment.

Canadian Pacific is waiting for the Surface Transportation Board to release a draft, Environmental Impact Statement about the merger. Cummings says it will examine the effects of the merger on rail capacity and traffic, plus safety, delays, noise, and pollution.

Screenshot of rail segment in Muscatine, Iowa
CP/KCS Rail Merger Project website
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CP/KCS Rail Merger Project, https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/665e5f3b1412406ea49454f573aefd35
Screenshot of rail segment in Muscatine, Iowa

Air pollution is of particular concern in Muscatine because it's an area of "non-attainment."

If approved, the number of trains traveling through the Iowa Quad Cities will triple.

Davenport, LeClaire, and Riverdale continue to study the merger and negotiate with Canadian Pacific.

Screenshot of a segment of the Canadian Pacific Railway route in the Chicago suburbs
CP/KCS Rail Merger Project
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CP/KCS Rail Merger Project, https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/665e5f3b1412406ea49454f573aefd35
Screenshot of a segment of the Canadian Pacific Railway route in the Chicago suburbs

In addition, a group of Chicago suburbs has formed the Coalition to Stop CPKC (Canadian Pacific Kansas City). Each of the local governments has sent a letter to the Surface Transportation Board to express their opposition to the proposed merger. The coalition includes DuPage County, Bartlett, Bensenville, Elgin, Itasca, Hanover Park, Roselle, Wood Dale, and Schaumburg.

Officially, Michelle's title for 28 years was WVIK News Editor. She did everything there is to do in the newsroom and whatever was needed around the radio station. She also served as Acting News Director from September 2023 - January 2024.
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