North American rail giant Canadian National (CN) announced it would attempt to acquire the Waterloo-based short line railroad Iowa Northern Railway (IANR). Before that can happen though, the deal must undergo review by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB). The STB should block this acquisition, and it’s not even a close call. Short line railroads are the small and medium businesses of rail. Short lines operate nearly half of all freight rail track in Iowa according to the railroad interest group GoRail. These short lines run shorter distances and often connect rural areas with larger, national rail networks. According to the Quad-City Times, IANR moves products like John Deere tractors, Tyson frozen foods and egg products, and even wind turbine components. That means if you go to a grocery store, drive, or use electricity, you’ll likely see higher costs if this acquisition goes through.
North American rail giant Canadian National (CN) announced it would attempt to acquire the Waterloo-based short line railroad Iowa Northern Railway (IANR). Before that can happen though, the deal must undergo review by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB). The STB should block this acquisition, and it’s not even a close call. Short line railroads are the small and medium businesses of rail. Short lines operate nearly half of all freight rail track in Iowa according to the railroad interest group GoRail. These short lines run shorter distances and often connect rural areas with larger, national rail networks. According to the Quad-City Times, IANR moves products like John Deere tractors, Tyson frozen foods and egg products, and even wind turbine components. That means if you go to a grocery store, drive, or use electricity, you’ll likely see higher costs if this acquisition goes through.