Amtrak and Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (CP) announced Thursday that they had entered into an agreement to support the proposed combination of CP and Kansas City Southern (KCS) railways.
“CP has been an excellent host of Amtrak intercity passenger service year after year and has established itself as a leader in the railroad industry,” said Stephen J. Gardner, Amtrak President. “We welcome CP’s commitment to our efforts with states and others to expand Amtrak service and are pleased to have reached an agreement formalizing CP’s support of Amtrak expansion in the Midwest and the South… This is exactly what Congress and the Administration are seeking: Amtrak and the freight railroads working together to benefit freight customers, Amtrak passengers, our state/regional partners, and the general public.”
As a host railroad, CP has consistently received an A-rating from Amtrak in its annual host railroad report card. Amtrak recognizes CP’s industry-leading on-time performance record. CP is also the first Class I railroad to complete 100 percent certification of its Amtrak schedules to the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB).
Subject CP’s application for control of KCS being approved by the STB, the Amtrak/CP agreement would also include a commitment from CP to support Amtrak’s effort to work with the Southern Rail Commission (SRC) to provide service on two U.S. routes for the first time in 50 years – service between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, La., and the study of potential service between Meridian, Miss., and Dallas, Texas by Amtrak.
“We appreciate Amtrak’s efforts to provide additional intercity passenger rail service that will benefit the people and economies of both Minnesota and Wisconsin,” said Minnesota Department of Transportation Commissioner Margaret Anderson Kelliher. “Once complete, the second daily round trip between Saint Paul and Chicago is expected to improve existing infrastructure and provide increased choice for residents traveling between some of our major cities – with stops in towns and cities of all sizes along the way.”
CP committed to maintaining its role as a host railroad and to cooperating with Amtrak to implement its long-term strategic vision to bring new and expanded intercity passenger rail service, including increasing frequency on the Hiawatha Service between Chicago and Milwaukee; extending Hiawatha Service from Milwaukee to St. Paul, Minn.; and providing passenger service through the Detroit River Tunnel between Michigan and Ontario to Windsor and Toronto.