New York New York USA - Railway Age's 2022 Railroader of the Year Award, our 59th annual, goes to two exemplary and visionary North American rail industry leaders, Canadian Pacific President and Chief Executive Officer Keith Creel, and Kansas City Southern President and Chief Executive Officer Patrick J. Ottensmeyer.
 
The two are reconfiguring the North American rail landscape by completing, if all goes as planned, what will be the first Class I merger in more than 20 years, and creating North America's first transnational freight railroad, Canadian Pacific Kansas City, or CPKC.
 
CPKC is a landmark combination that will enable seamless, single-line, freight rail service linking Canada, the United States, and Mexico, opening up new opportunities for rail market share growth and vastly improved customer service.
 
Merging these two iconic railroads, each with a unique history and legacy, required strategic planning, cooperation, enthusiasm, and execution.
 
Railway Age Editor-in-Chief William C. Vantuono in mid-November 2021 sat down in person with Creel and Ottensmeyer in New York City for a wide-ranging interview covering the merger and the story behind it.
 
Leia Sills.