CHICAGO – Canadian Pacific is reaffirming its stance that a coast-to-coast railway combination would not only alleviate congestion in the key Chicago hub but would enhance fluidity and create new opportunities for competitors to provide improved service to their own customers, many of whom will receive no rail service at all during the upcoming holiday period.

The company notes that the most vocal opponents to a CP/Norfolk Southern Corp. merger that would improve shipper optionality through and around Chicago will halt service for up to two full days during the Christmas period, including Union Pacific, CSX Transportation, and NS itself.

"We have a responsibility to our customers not to forget that gridlock in Chicago crippled the industry in the winter of 2014 and threatened to cripple the economy," says Keith Creel, CP president and chief operating officer. "We need to work together as an industry to keep Chicago fluid and the economy growing, and innovation is the key."

A full shut down of service through Chicago by a number of railroads would prevent an agile response to sudden shifts in weather conditions and customer demand, and would further compound the impact of the severe winter weather that Chicago is known for, CP says.

"Our economy runs year round and shippers must be able to get their goods to market in a timely fashion, regardless of the date or the amount of snow on the ground," Creel says. "Optionality, agility, efficiency and service are at the heart of our proposal and we urge all stakeholders to examine the benefits of a CP-NS combination."