Regulators greenlight Canadian takeover of Kansas City Southern. Expect more trains through town

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board’s approval Wednesday was the last remaining regulatory obstacle facing the $31 billion merger. It will create the first single railroad spanning Mexico, Canada, and the United States.
Federal regulators cleared the way for Canadian Pacific to take over Kansas City Southern to form a mega-railroad that stretches the length of the continent.

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board’s approval Wednesday marked the last remaining regulatory obstacle facing the $31 billion merger. It will create the first single railroad spanning Mexico, Canada, and the United States.

There’s no current overlap between the KC Southern and Canadian Pacific. The two lines meet in Kansas City. The Surface Transportation Board expects the combined railroad to take on more freight, shifting about 64,000 truckloads of freight a year onto the rails.