Canadian Pacific Railroad's December acquisition of the Kansas City Southern Railroad may soon mean more rail travel choices for Amtrak passengers in the U.S. Midwest and South, including a possible Detroit to Toronto route.
The Canadian Pacific/KCS combination will host more frequent Amtrak service between Chicago and Milwaukee, and will include one of the daily trains to continue on to St Paul, Minnesota. Amtrak will also be able to start service on KCS's route from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. Except for the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak's trains run on the rails of 'host' railroads, mostly freight carriers.
The agreement also includes the possibility of service from Detroit through the Detroit River Tunnel that would connect to the line used by Canada's VIA rail to Toronto. There may be some question whether that service would be profitable given there is already a VIA Rail service from Windsor, Ontario, across the river from Detroit, to Toronto.
For Amtrak, the merger and the increased possibilities come at a key time, just when the infrastructure bill is offering it upgrade and repair money, and with a rail-friendly President in the White House.
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