U.S. ban on rail merger lifted

Avatar photo

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. government has given its blessing on the proposed corporate marriage between Canadian National Railway (CN) with Burlington Northern Santa Fe.

However, CN may have gotten cold feet since the proposal and hasn’t comment on any plans to proceed with the US$6.2-billion merger. The amalgamation would have produced the continent’s largest railway, but U.S. officials were less than thrilled with the congestion, delays and prices that followed earlier mergers in the rapidly consolidating industry.

“We are not discussing or about to start speculating about potential future transactions, that’s our policy,” says CN spokesman Mark Hallman.

For now, the railway is studying the U.S. ruling, he said, and forging ahead with plans to merge with Wisconsin Central, a smaller regional railway, in a deal worth $1.2 billion.

Avatar photo

Truck News is Canada's leading trucking newspaper - news and information for trucking companies, owner/operators, truck drivers and logistics professionals working in the Canadian trucking industry.


Have your say


This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.

*