Canadian Pacific Returns to Maine

From https://www.cpr.ca/en/media/cp-to-acqui ... -from-ftai
Canadian Pacific Railway
November 20, 2019 Calgary / New York

Canadian Pacific (TSX: CP) (NYSE: CP) and Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors LLC (NYSE: FTAI) announced they have entered into a definitive agreement whereby CP will acquire the Central Maine & Quebec Railway ("CMQ").

CMQ owns 481 miles (774 kilometres) of rail lines primarily in Quebec and Maine. The end-to-end transaction will provide CP customers with seamless, safe and efficient access to ports at Searsport, Maine and to Saint John, New Brunswick, via Eastern Maine Railway Company (EMRY) and New Brunswick Southern Railway (NBSR), thereby preserving and enhancing competition.

"This strategic acquisition gives CP a true coast-to-coast network across Canada and an increased presence in the eastern U.S.," said CP President and CEO Keith Creel. "With additional port access, more dots on the map, and our proven precision scheduled railroading operating model we are confident this transaction will bring benefits to all stakeholders moving forward."

So the cats out of the bag finally! CP returns to Maine and VT. Sooooooo, what about the Rockland branch? How sweet to see maine Eastern come back.

I'm particularly interested in the Lac-Magantic - McAdam line across Maine, as my ancestors were CP employees on that line ("The Short Line"). Hopefully that's included?

Of course, the original CP of Maine didn't have single line access to Searsport, ME, a new capability the press release emphasizes. But I have no idea what that means in terms of traffic.

I used to have relatives I'd visit in Searsport. Didn't seem like a beehive of activity. Perhaps that has changed in the last 5 years???

>How sweet to see maine Eastern come back.

Um, what? I thought the Morristown & Erie owned that flag (since fallen)?

They did, as well as the power and equipment. CP has nothing to do with that operation, I wonder where that idea came from.

I believe that the CP followed the path of least resistance to get to an Atlantic port, to make them a true coast-to-coast carrier once again. The powerful Irving family of New Brunswick holds the rest of the former CP route to St John, NB, which I think is the CP's preferred Atlantic Port (being in Canada and probably having better facilities). If they can cut a deal to their liking with the Irvings I can't see Searsport growing all that much. It's funny how the current crop of PR people on CP do not mention much about CP spinning off "the Short Line" earlier.
This reacquisition is part of an interesting trend. I seem to remember that CN has also done this in the east, in New Brunswick.
What's next - CN re-acquiring the "Grand Trunk Eastern" to the Portland area and the former CV? (I doubt it but you never know....)

eustis22 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 21, 2019 11:32 am >How sweet to see maine Eastern come back.

Um, what? I thought the Morristown & Erie owned that flag (since fallen)?

I think it was supposed to be "How sweet it would be to see Maine Eastern come back."

Which I would personally love to see.

In deed it would be. I'm sure the state is not overly pleased with this turn of events in regards to the Rockland Branch and CP. I don't believe for a second that they will honor the contract. It will be just as easy for them to buy out the rest of that contract than to honor it. The state is going to be left scrambling to find a new operator.

A long shot, but maybe David Swirk, owner of the Conway Scenic, would like to dabble in the common carrier side of the freight business on the Rockland Branch. He could also operate passenger excursion service. Rockland is 130 miles from North Conway, so little or no competition with each other.

The state is reserving the Rockland Branch for seasonal Downeaster service, so there won't any excursion service to that of what the Maine Eastern used to run.

Is the Rockland Branch a money loser for CMQ? If so then CP would want to get rid of it, otherwise I imagine nothing much happens.

It's owned by the state; I don't see how they could lose money on it, and it's not theirs to get rid of.

Hate to say anything when I have nothing to say.

-- BUT is this not a positive for something that might have ended up a bunch of dead rails ??? Something is better than nothing?


hmmm...just looked at their map and not really anything in Maine, etc ??


What is trackage rights to Wells River,Vt. for example ?


https://www.cpr.ca/en/choose-rail-site/ ... p-2018.pdf


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https://www.cmqrailway.com/wp-content/u ... 90129B.pdf



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