Fresh blow to CP Rail merger hopes as US transport chief opposes union with NS

Bill Shuster, a Pennsylvania Republican representative in the US Congress and chairman of the US House transportation and infrastructure committee, yesterday became the latest figure to voice opposition to Canadian Pacific’s bid for a takeover/merger with US railroad and intermodal operator Norfolk Southern. It would appear to be an increasingly doomed attempt on the part of CP to force consolidation in the industry. Two of the country’s rail shippers, UPS and FedEx, also oppose the deal, joining every Democratic congressman and senator from Pennsylvania and Illinois. In a statement, Mr Shuster said the country needed a strong rail freight industry but added: “However, CP’s pursuit of a merger over the last two years has done nothing but create uncertainty in the rail industry, and there continues to be no clear path forward for such an arrangement.”