CP’s ‘historic and transformational’ merger could be the last of the big rail deals

Episode 94 of Down to Business podcast

Article content

Transcontinental railroads may call to mind the olden days, frontiers and barons carving up empires that crisscrossed North America from east to west.

But this past weekend, Canadian Pacific Railways Ltd. and Kansas City Southern proposed a US$25 billion merger that, if approved, would create a new transcontinental railroad — one that runs north to south, from Canada through the middle of the U.S, and deep into Mexico where a string of automotive factories and other industries has developed over the past decade.

This week, on Down to Business, Steve Hansen, an equities analyst with Raymond James, and Howard Green, a veteran journalist and author of ‘Railroader,’ a biography of the late CP Rail CEO Hunter Harrison, join us to explain why anyone should care about railroad news today.

It’s a story about the industrial development of Mexico, about the corporate titans who invest in railroads today, about Hunter Harrison, who transformed the industry, and about North American supply chains and trade.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and Google Play, where you can also subscribe to get new episodes every Wednesday morning.

If you have any questions about the show, or if there are topics you want us to tackle, email us: [email protected].