Proposed railway merger prompts community concerns

Hear that train a-comin’ is a five-part series about an expected merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern, and the impacts it would have on the communities of Washington County. This article is the first installment.

WASHINGTON - A likely merger between railway companies Canadian Pacific (CP) and Kansas City Southern (KCS) in the coming months promises big returns for some Iowans, but many in Washington County worry about the move’s local impact.

If approved by the federal Surface Transportation Board, the merger would establish the first single-line railroad linking the U.S., Mexico and Canada, a status that would drastically increase train traffic along the path. Along the Ottumwa line, which runs through Washington, Ainsworth and Columbus Junction, CP officials expect an increase from an average of 4.2 trains per day to 18.4.

“These increases will not occur overnight and are projections over a three-year period following the combination,” CP Media Relations Manager Andy Cummings said in an email. “We recognize that we will be increasing the number of trains that operate through some communities ... We will work hard to be a good neighbor and mitigate potential adverse community impacts.”

Many community members, however, remain unconvinced. Local organizations and government officials say they’re in ongoing talks with the Canadian Pacific about possible risks to public safety, complications for businesses, and disruptions to residents’ day-to-day lives.

Some public officials said they were frustrated by a lack of control over the process, despite involvement in those talks.

“If you’ve ever heard of the term being railroaded, I think that’s where some of this came from,” Washington County Supervisor Bob Yoder said. “It’d be pretty hard to stop them, I would think.”

Washington Mayor Jaron Rosien encouraged the community to avoid knee-jerk reactions as it sought details on the merger.

“While it seems like it’s coming really fast, it’s not as fast as was once perceived ... it appears we have time to work on these problems,” he said. “The preference is to have a good working relationship on solutions to problems. From my point of view, that makes perfect sense, and I’d like to continue in that vein as long as possible.”

According to Rosien, much of the tension stems from a disconnect between local and large scale benefits.

“When (they) talk about all of the good stuff that happens, there’s a whole list of pros, but those pros are all at the macro level,” he said. “It will be the only railroad that connects Canada through North America to Mexico, so huge implications on that macro level. But on the micro level, where that line goes through Washington, we are right in the middle of all these tracks, so we are one of the highest increases in traffic.”

In an interview, Cummings emphasized those macro benefits, including a more efficient supply chain and reduced air pollution and road weathering from truck transport, but said the merger would have some economic perks locally.

“In terms of the communities in northern Missouri and Southeastern Iowa, we’re looking at something like 175 jobs created between the Quad Cities and Kansas City,” he said. “If you operate a business and you move your product by train, it matters where that product is able to reach. If we can get you from origin to destination, we can offer you a better service than if we have to work with another railroad ... we can compete for business with this merger that in the past we wouldn’t have been competitive on.”

That said, it’s hard to predict how accessible that traffic will be to local businesses, with trains on the Ottumwa Line coming through Washington County, but seldom making stops there.

“It depends on individual decisions of individual business owners,” Cummings said. “The 14 trains per day, we anticipate passing through without stopping, but they will be able to connect cars locally. So if business develops in Washington that isn’t there today, or if existing businesses expand their services, we’ll be able to connect those cars to them ... Even if those trains don’t stop in Washington, we are capable of connecting them to trains that are going to take them to destinations.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com