Santa Claus doesn’t rest on Christmas Eve. Neither, apparently, does Canadian Pacific. Santa does rest on Christmas Day, but the Class I railroad whose headquarters is, of all its contemporaries (with the exception of the Alaska Railroad), closest to Kris Kringle’s North Pole residence and workshop has chosen not to follow his lead.
Pointing out that Union Pacific, CSX and Norfolk Southern will not operate trains through Chicago on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, and Christmas Day, Dec. 25, Canadian Pacific reiterated one of the principal arguments it has been making in its quest to acquire Norfolk Southern: “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.”
Emphasizing that many customers in Chicagoland “will receive no rail service at all during the upcoming holiday period,” CP said it “recognizes that the North American economy does not take vacations. Many shippers require 24/7 service 365 days a year through Chicago, and thanks to CP’s dedicated and hardworking railroaders, CP can provide that service. But Chicago is where six of North America’s largest railways converge, making it the busiest and most important freight hub on the continent. Local communities and businesses from Illinois to British Columbia to the Gulf of Mexico depend on the efficiency of Chicago’s rail system and any lengthy disruption will impact jobs.”
CP also said “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. UP will halt service through Chicago from 7:00 a.m. local time Dec. 24 to 7:00 a.m. Dec. 26. CSX will shut down from 3:00 p.m. Dec. 24 until 7:00 a.m. on Dec. 26 and Norfolk Southern will close from 2:00 p.m. Dec. 24 to 11:00 p.m. on Dec. 25.”
“Beginning mid-December, the winter of 2013-2014 saw the third heaviest snowfall on record in Chicago, which coincided with the third-coldest temperatures in the city’s history. The combination of snow and cold wreaked havoc on Chicago’s already congested rail facilities, forcing some railroads to suspend interchange operations for as long as two days well into January and backing up freight deliveries for months,” CP said. “A full shutdown 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.”
“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," said CP President and Chief Operating Officer Keith Creel. “We need to work together as an industry to keep Chicago fluid and the economy growing, and innovation is the key. 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. 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.”
C’mon guys, it’s Christmas! Santa gives his reindeer a rest. Can’t you give those hardworking iron horses a break, especially when there’s technology like AESS systems and engine block heaters to keep them warm (and without turning fresh white Christmas snow into an ugly, slushy shade of gray)?
Some industry observers think CP is spoiling the Christmas Spirit, “acting like Scrooge, or The Grinch,” said one I spoke with. “What about the example of Marley’s Ghost, who had to spend eternity dragging around a chain he had forged in life, link by link, because he never took a day off? If Hunter Harrison, Keith Creel and Bill Ackman aren’t careful, they’re going to be dragging around a heavy weight made of 152-pound rail and concrete ties for all eternity. And Santa won’t even bother putting coal in their stockings, because Hunter shut down CP’s steam program!”
OK, enough already with this silliness. Remember, in “A Christmas Carol” and “How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” the grumpy protagonists eventually saw the light and were reformed.
In all seriousness, a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year to all!