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Trains News Wire video for Dec. 11
“Three Faces in High Places”. Nice addition - keep up the great work!!!
Sharing on the Ohio Railroader’s Facebook page “Ohio Valley Railroad Gang”…keep up the good work!
On CP/NS
What I see is the Ackman trying to make CP more valuable and an acquisition target. The only way to do that is buy something else that is worth merging. As Jim McClellan put it(during the Conrail acquisition) if NS doesn’t grow we might as well sell to a western railroad like UP or BNSF. CP does not go south to the Gulf of Mexico, does not have a lot of penetration in the US. They do not go to ice free Canadian ports. CP does not do a lot. So what is the value for a merger partner?
If CP can not grow they wither. I would wonder if bond issuer would jot look closely at CP & ask how is CP improving their operating ratio. Is CP expanding their railroad to attract more business or just coasting on what they have?
Excellent!
More enhanced detail needed…
Well done, Trains staff!
Nice job for your inaugural video.
Please sit down (this will make you look more relaxed) for future videos. Also, it would be GREAT to have recordings of the quotes that Bill Ackman was throwing around in the conference call and videos to play that relate to the news stories.
I’d love to hear a “round table” (to include Jim Wrinn, Fred Frailey and Don Phillips) discussing the short term versus long term profitability of a railroad versus its operating ratios, especially as Frailey has taken NS to task over its “great year” statement in its 2014 Annual Report and Wrinn editorialized that it’s not time to quit spending Capital Dollars on railroad infrastructure.
Excellent start and look forward to future updates.
As a NS stockholder I would have liked to have heard a little more of the details as to the merger offer and why it was rejected. However, it is a great start and I know it is difficult to say very much in so little time. GOOD LUCK
Very good first News Wire, but I might suggest better lighting. Additionally, Steve was a bit shiny in the cheek, which was distracting. The audio was a bit hollow-sounding.
As for content, I agree that Amtrak is a challenging job, considering that Congress likes to treat it like the beggar at the door, but Dave’s asking “who wants that job?” came off as more boardroom than railroader – ironic considering his remarks that mere operating efficiency does not a railroader make.
Angela’s comment that she doesn’t have the passion for what should happen vis-a-vis the possible CP-NS merger was a little cryptic. She says she’s on “Team Hunter” but I think the rest of us might need a little more information on the players and their personalities. I have heard quite a bit about Mr. Ackman, both positive and negative, but Mr. Harrison is a bit of a cypher to me.
If this deal goes through and the minnow swallows the whale, so to speak (shades of Rio Grande eating Southern Pacific), what would the new entity be called? Norfolk Pacific? Canadian Southern? Northern Canadian? Canadian Northern? Pacific Southern? Would the swallower, having successfully digested NS, just be known as Canadian Pacific? Truth be told, I am not too big a fan of mega-mergers. I like my railroads discreet and independent. Makes for much better train-watching. There are already too many fallen flags. Perhaps some deserved to fall, but it’s always sad to see one go. I guess railroading is a lot more than a business to me.
I look forward to viewing the News Wire each Friday. Good start! Good Luck!
Well done… Would like to suggest that you put some carpet on the wall to absorb the echo, a common problem when using a non sound absorbing room.
Opps, forgot the stars. Please add them to my previous comment.
I do not see a CP/NS merger, as I believe the STB, among others, would view this as too much control by a foreign corporation, no matter how they try to modify it. Also this will take years to achieve (if ever) and the railroad transportation scene is continually changing. In my opinion, it would NOT be good for NS or the U.S.
Good start, more information on a whole, but I do belive this is going to be a good thing. Just relax and report the news of the week.
Enjoyed your program!
How come Angela gets invited there and gets less than 10% of the speaking time? She does her best to look good and with respect, while doing nothing.
Guys, we are not alone. Females are more important than us.
David Gibsons round table forum sound like its worth considering, sub-titles for our hard of hearing, or understanding North American accents may help too! Well done it’s a good start Nice to hear the voices of names we are familiar with, thanks.
‘Down Unda Aussie’
I like the presentation and views and opinions presented. However you guys look uncomfortable standing behind a table to do so. How getting a table and sitting down to relax while you are having your discussion?
Excellent start-up for your weekly newscasts. Try carpeting on the wall to reduce the echo; it works. As to the content, I don’t know much about Joe Boardman but it seems like a thankless job. Nix on the CP-NS merger; they will not be able to convince the board of any gain for customers or the industry in general. As a Canadian railfan I would suggest to CP to wash their equipment once in a while; their locomotives are filthy !