Washington District of Columbia USA - Metra has asked federal regulators to force Canadian Pacific to hand over more documents that would help it evaluate how the proposed CP/KCS merger may affect commuter service in the Chicago area.
 
Metra, in a filing with the Surface Transportation Board (STB), said CP omitted necessary documents, provided dated versions of other documents, and in other cases has shared information in computer formats that the commuter agency cannot use to judge CP's traffic and capacity analysis.
 
"CP's refusal to provide the documents Metra has requested seriously jeopardize Metra's ability to adequately review and respond to the impacts of the proposed transaction by the Board's deadline of 28 Feb 2022," Metra said in a 31 Dec 2021 filing.
 
Metra owns and operates commuter service over two routes CP uses in the Chicago area, The Milwaukee District-North Line, and the Milwaukee District-West Line.
 
In its merger application, CP projects that the average number of trains per day over the MD-West Line will rise to 11 from three.
 
CP says there's "ample capacity" on the MD-W line and that "Metra service will not be adversely affected" by increases in freight traffic after the KCS merger.
 
But Metra says it has a duty to independently evaluate CP's assessment.
 
Metra is asking the STB to force CP to provide track charts, station name and location information, track elevation, curvature, and grade data, speed limits, track schematics covering grade crossings and interchange locations, rail weight, turnout sizes, switch and signal data, and yard configurations.
 
Bill Stephens.