OTTAWA � Canada's two main freight rail companies are set to lock out about 10,000 of their Canadian unionized workers on Thursday at 12:01 a.m. ET, starting an unprecedented simultaneous work stoppage that would grind almost all railway freight movement in the country to a halt.
How integrated are North American rail networks?
kAmr2?25:2? }2E:@?2= #2:=H2J r@] 2?5 r2?25:2? !24:7:4 z2?D2D r:EJ 92G6 D2:5 E96:C C2:= ?6EH@C<D D@FE9 @7 E96 3@C56C H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ @A6C2E6[ 3FE :?5FDECJ 8C@FAD 762C E92E 2 H@C< DE@AA286 H@F=5 92G6 72C\C6249:?8 67764ED @? E96 >@G6>6?E @7 8@@5D 2?5 4@>>@5:E:6D 24C@DD }@CE9 p>6C:42]k^Am
kAmr} 2?5 r!zrVD 4@2DE\E@\4@2DE C2:= ?6EH@C<D :? r2?252 4@??64E D@FE9 @7 E96 3@C56C 2?5 D6CG6 2D :>A@CE2?E DFAA=J 492:? =:?<D E@ EC256 4@CC:5@CD 2?5 A@CED 24C@DD }@CE9 p>6C:42]k^Am
kAm%96 ?6EH@C<D :?E6CD64E H:E9 E9@D6 @7 &]$] C2:= @A6C2E@CD DF49 2D q}$u #2:=H2J[ &?:@? !24:7:4[ }@C7@=< $@FE96C? 2?5 r$)[ 724:=:E2E:?8 E96 >@G6>6?E @7 3:==:@?D @7 5@==2CDV H@CE9 @7 8@@5D 2?5 4@>>@5:E:6D E9C@F89 A@CED 2?5 H2C69@FD6D 24C@DD E96 4@?E:?6?E]k^Am
kAmr}VD ?6EH@C< DEC6E496D D@FE9 E@ }6H ~C=62?D] r!zrVD ?6EH@C< =:?<D E@ E96 &]$] A@CED @7 r@CAFD r9C:DE:[ %6I2Dj }6H ~C=62?Dj 2?5 vF=7A@CE[ |:DD:DD:AA:[ 2?5 :E 6IE6?5D 7FCE96C D@FE9 E@ E96 A@CED @7 %2>A:4@ 2?5 {áK2C@ ráC56?2D @? E96 62DE 2?5 H6DE 4@2DED @7 |6I:4@]k^Am
k9cmw@H H@F=5 2 C2:= DE@AA286 27764E E96 &$nk^9cm
kAmpC@F?5 2 E9:C5 @7 E96 EC277:4 >@G65 3J E96 EH@ r2?25:2? C2:= 4@>A2?:6D 4C@DD6D E96 3@C56C H:E9 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D]k^Am
kAm|2?J &]$] 4@>A2?:6D 2?5 AC@5F46CD[ 6DA64:2==J E9@D6 :? E96 |:5H6DE[ FD6 r2?25:2? A@CED 7@C :>A@CED 2?5 6IA@CED[ 2D |@?EC62= 42? 36 72DE6C 7@C D9:A>6?ED E@ 2?5 7C@> tFC@A6[ H9:=6 '2?4@FG6C 42? 36 72DE6C 7@C @462? D6CG:46 E@ 2?5 7C@> pD:2]Â Â Â Â Â k^Am
kAm&?:@? !24:7:4[ E96 }@] a &]$] C2:=C@25 @A6C2E@C[ 92D H2C?65 E92E 2 D:>F=E2?6@FD DE@AA286 H@F=5 92G6 56G2DE2E:?8 4@?D6BF6?46D 7@C E96 &]$] 2?5 r2?25:2? 64@?@>:6D]k^Am
kAm#2E:?8D 286?4J |@@5JVD D2:5 E96 DE@AA286 4@F=5 4@DE @G6C rSbc` >:==:@? WSad`]`c >:==:@?X A6C 52J]k^Am
kAms@K6?D @7 8C@FAD C6AC6D6?E:?8 >:?6CD[ 72C>6CD[ 6IA@CE6CD 2?5 76CE:=:K6C AC@5F46CD[ 2>@?8 @E96CD[ 92G6 H2C?65 E92E E96:C D64E@CD 7246 4C:AA=:?8 DFAA=J\492:? 56=2JD[ :?4C62D65 4@DED[ 42D9\7=@H 4@?DEC2:?ED 2?5 A@E6?E:2= D9FE5@H?D :? 2 AC@EC24E65 DE@AA286]k^Am
k9cmw@H H@F=5 72C> D64E@CD 36 27764E65nk^9cm
kAmp DE@AA286 H@F=5 9:E E96 >@G6>6?E @7 6G6CJE9:?8 7C@> H962E E@ 6E92?@=[ A@E2D9 76CE:=:K6C 2?5 >62E]k^Am
kAmx? A2CE:4F=2C[ :E H@F=5 4C:>A D9:A>6?ED @7 &]$] DAC:?8 H962E 7C@> |:??6D@E2[ }@CE9 s2<@E2 2?5 $@FE9 s2<@E2 E@ E96 !24:7:4 }@CE9H6DE 7@C 6IA@CE] p DE@AA286 H@F=5 2=D@ 9:E r2?25:2? A@E2D9 2?5 8C2:? 6IA@CED]k^Am
kAm%96 &]$] 6IA@CE65 Sag]b 3:==:@? @7 28C:4F=EFC2= AC@5F4ED E@ r2?252 :? a_ab[ >2<:?8 :E E96 E9:C5\=2C86DE 56DE:?2E:@? 7@C &]$] 28C:4F=EFC2= 6IA@CED 369:?5 r9:?2 2?5 |6I:4@] %96 &]$] :>A@CE65 Sc_]` 3:==:@? @7 r2?25:2? 28C:4F=EFC2= AC@5F4ED =2DE J62C[ >2<:?8 r2?252 E96 D64@?5\=2C86DE D@FC46 @7 &]$] 28C:4F=EFC2= :>A@CED]k^Am
kAmtE92?@=[ A@E2D9[ 4@C?[ 46C62=D[ 7@@5 8C2:?D[ 4@@<:?8 @:=D 2?5 >62E 2C6 2>@?8 E96 28C:4F=EFC2= AC@5F4ED EC2565 36EH66? E96 EH@ ?2E:@?D]k^Am
k9cm(:== EC256 H:E9 |6I:4@ 36 27764E65nk^9cm
kAm|6I:4@ :D r2?252VD E9:C5\=2C86DE D:?8=6\4@F?ECJ >6C492?5:D6 EC25:?8 A2CE?6C 369:?5 E96 &]$] 2?5 r9:?2[ H9:=6 r2?252 H2D |6I:4@VD 7@FCE9\=2C86DE >6C492?5:D6 EC25:?8 A2CE?6C :? a_ab]k^Am
kAm|6I:4@ 6IA@CED ECF4<D[ 42CD 2?5 G69:4=6 A2CED E@ r2?252[ 2=@?8 H:E9 >2?8@6D 2?5 2G@425@D] r2?252 6IA@CED H962E[ >62E[ 2=F>:?F>[ 42CD 2?5 A2CED E@ |6I:4@]k^Am
kAm%H@\H2J EC256 36EH66? E96 EH@ 4@F?EC:6D[ >F49 @7 H9:49 >@G6D G:2 E96 C2:=D[ H2D ?62C=J rSdd 3:==:@? :? a_ab]k^Am
k9cmxD ECF4<:?8 2? @AE:@?nk^9cm
kAm%CF4<6CD D2J E96J 2C6 724:?8 2 DFC86 :? 56>2?5 2?5 E92E C@25 7C6:89E C2E6D 2C6 C:D:?8 7@C D9:AA6CD :? r2?252] w@H6G6C[ :?5FDECJ :?D:56CD D2J E92E H9:=6 E96 ECF4<:?8 D64E@C 42? 92?5=6 D@>6 @7 E96 56>2?5[ :E 42??@E C6A=246 C2:= 5:DEC:3FE:@?] x? D@>6 42D6D[ E96 :?5FDECJ 5@6D ?@E 92G6 E96 6BF:A>6?E[ ?@C E96 42A24:EJ[ E@ 92?5=6 3F=< 4@>>@5:EJ 42C8@6D DF49 2D A@E2D9[ 7@@5 8C2:?D @C 4@2=]k^Am