Passenger Trains > CN or CP's merger with Kansas City Southern

Just curious about hearing of this merger talk.  Would Amtrak's rights to operate on CP or CN carryover to the KCS?  If so what could be some potential new routes KCS has? Just looking for a discussion if any....

 

amtrakbill Wrote:
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> Just curious about hearing of this merger talk. 
> Would Amtrak's rights to operate on CP or CN
> carryover to the KCS?  If so what could be some
> potential new routes KCS has? Just looking for a
> discussion if any....

My understanding is that Amtrak's operations are specific to routes, not who owns them. So Amtrak would not suddenly have carte blanche to begin running trains over KCS lines just because it already operates trains over CN (ex-IC main, ex-GTW in Michigan) or CP (ex-MILW main) and one of those carriers took over the KCS. If Amtrak wanted to institute trains over KCS it could have just as easily negotiated that with current management.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/21 12:26 by toledopatch.

Unlike IC, GM&O, GTW, and MILW, KCS did not join Amtrak since they had no passenger service on 4/30/71.  So Amtrak has never had compelled access to KCS lines.  I'm sure that whoever acquires KCS will do whatever they can to preserve that prohibition of KCS lines for Amtrak.  But, as noted, this doesn't prevent the owner of KCS lines from negotiating a passenger train operation.  However, given the current state of all railroads attitude toward passenger service of any kind, I wouldn't expect that to happen.  BSB

BigSkyBlue Wrote:
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> Unlike IC, GM&O, GTW, and MILW, KCS did not join
> Amtrak since they had no passenger service on
> 4/30/71.  So Amtrak has never had compelled
> access to KCS lines.  I'm sure that whoever
> acquires KCS will do whatever they can to preserve
> that prohibition of KCS lines for Amtrak.  But,
> as noted, this doesn't prevent the owner of KCS
> lines from negotiating a passenger train
> operation.  However, given the current state of
> all railroads attitude toward passenger service of
> any kind, I wouldn't expect that to happen.

It hadn't even occurred to me that KCS wouldn't be a "member" of Amtrak but of course that makes sense. And as noted, an acquisition could be structured to perpetuate that detail.

toledopatch Wrote:
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> BigSkyBlue Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Unlike IC, GM&O, GTW, and MILW, KCS did not
> join
> > Amtrak since they had no passenger service on
> > 4/30/71.  So Amtrak has never had compelled
> > access to KCS lines.  I'm sure that whoever
> > acquires KCS will do whatever they can to
> preserve
> > that prohibition of KCS lines for Amtrak. 
> But,
> > as noted, this doesn't prevent the owner of KCS
> > lines from negotiating a passenger train
> > operation.  However, given the current state
> of
> > all railroads attitude toward passenger service
> of
> > any kind, I wouldn't expect that to happen.
>
> It hadn't even occurred to me that KCS wouldn't be
> a "member" of Amtrak but of course that makes
> sense. And as noted, an acquisition could be
> structured to perpetuate that detail.


They had no reason to, as their last train was discontinued in Nov. 1969. Same for EL, Katy,Frisco, Soo Line and Lehigh Valley.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/21 07:54 by cnr6776.