Ironically enough, that would be the last piece of the pie which would leave UP with the bulk of the old Rock Island, which it wanted 40 years ago.
They did miss out on the Rock Island’s KC-Chicago main which was ripped up in the 80’s between Ainsworth, IA and Allerton, IA. The old parallel Milwaukee line is still intact and used by ICE, but that doesn’t help UP’s problem of getting freight (easily) from KC to Chicago without having to pay high rates for using BNSF’s lines.
I guess that’s karmic justice for UP abandoning the Rock Island after the merger was approved in 1974… even with RI’s poor track condition. I sometimes think about that (almost) merger and wonder… “What if…?” The Milwaukee and CNW likely would have combined as they almost did anyway… And then… Oh the possibilities!