Minnesota USA - In September, Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and Kansas City Southern (KCS) entered into a merger of rail goliaths that would bring the first single line rail network linking Canada to Mexico.
 
Have impacts of this multi-billion dollar merger really been considered?
 
Currently, it appears that the only entities benefiting from this proposal are the railroads themselves, not the public.
 
Our communities are already impacted by high costs, environmental factors, and wait times for long trains.
 
This mega-merger will only make things worse.
 
The obscure federal agency in charge of reviewing the application, the Surface Transportation Board (STB), held a series of online-only hearings regarding this merger.
 
Given the potential impact to our communities, my fellow Minnesotans and I deserve to have an opportunity to voice our concerns in person to ensure that sufficient notice is given to provide public comment.
 
The increased rail traffic this merger would cause will bring dangerous crude oil through Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and other smaller communities throughout our state.
 
CP is already the largest rail shipper of oil through Minnesota, and now this merger will increase that yield, with as many as 20 more trains hauling crude oil by our homes and near our schools each month.
 
This drastic increase of train traffic could result in more deadly accidents, as evidenced by a study from the Frasier Institute that found that rail is 4.5 times more likely to experience an accident transporting fuel than pipelines.
 
Additionally, the merger will also result in increased train traffic of other items, including hazardous chemicals.
 
CP pledged as part of this merger that it would run shorter trains to cause less delay and promised no trains longer than 7,100 feet.
 
But the reality is that their trains are significantly longer on average.
 
In the third quarter of 2021, CP's average train length was 8,285 feet or 1.5 miles long, and the railroad regularly ran trains that reach or exceed 12,000 feet, which is over 2.25 miles.
 
In Winona, train crossing wait times have already been a problem, with trains causing 40 minute delays.
 
People in my hometown of Buffalo know all too well the wait and traffic caused by these long trains.
 
Another consideration is the negative impact this merger would have for Minnesota's farmers.
 
Increased demand for fuel shipments, which command higher shipping rates than farm goods, could displace agricultural products and make it more difficult to get food to market, raising the already skyrocketing price of groceries.
 
As the Biden administration looks to reduce inflation, it would be unwise to introduce further uncertainty into the supply chain.
 
As the issues continue to mount with the CPKC merger, it is worth revisiting the question of how such an alignment would benefit Minnesota.
 
Our communities are already impacted by high costs and long wait times for train crossings.
 
Environmental factors such as shifting away from smart energy infrastructure like pipelines, the safest and most environmentally friendly way to transport energy, to more accident-prone rail cars must also be considered.
 
Many of this merger's details are unclear, and CP has a lot to explain about the inconsistencies in its rhetoric about the merger.
 
These are all issues that must be examined and vetted, at in-person meetings, to ensure minimal impact to Minnesotans before a final decision is made.
 
Amy Koch.