Description
Kansas City Southern (KCS) (NYSE: KSU) is a Delaware-registered pure transportation holding company with railroad investments in the United States, Mexico, and Panama.
The KCS rail network includes about 6,700 miles (10,800 km) of track in the U.S. and Mexico.
Its primary U.S. holding is the Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS), a Class I railroad that operates about 3,400 route miles (5,472 km) in 10 states in the midwestern and southeastern United States. KCS's hubs include Kansas City, Missouri; Shreveport, Louisiana; New Orleans; Dallas; and Houston. Among Class I railroads, KCS has the shortest route between Kansas City, the second-largest rail hub in the country, and the Gulf of Mexico.
Its primary international holding is Kansas City Southern de México (KCSM), which operates about 3,300 route miles (5,311 km) in 15 states in northeastern, central, southeast-central and southwest-central Mexico. KCSM reaches the Gulf of Mexico ports of Tampico, Altamira, and Veracruz, and the Pacific Ocean deepwater container port of Lázaro Cárdenas. KCS obtained 100% of ownership of KCSM in 2005, making KCS the only Class I Railroad to own track in Mexico's.
The company also owns half of Panama Canal Railway Company (PCRC), which operates the Panama Canal Railway, providing ocean-to-ocean transshipment service between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The 47.6-mile (76.6 km) railroad serves as an intermodal line for world commerce and complements the Canal, the Colón Free Trade Zone, and the Pacific and Atlantic ports. PCRC's wholly owned subsidiary, Panarail Tourism, offers passenger service for business commuters, tourists, and private charters.
Patrick J. Ottensmeyer was named President in April 2015 and CEO in June 2016, succeeding David Starling. Ottensmeyer had served as Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Chief Financial Officer. He was named Railroader of the Year by Railway Age for 2020.
On March 21, 2021, Canadian Pacific Railroad announced the merger with Kansas City Southern in a $25 USD billion dollar deal. The acquisition, subject to regulatory approval by the U.S.Surface Transportation Board would make the only Canada, United States and Mexico freight rail network on the continent. Once completed in 2022, the new company will be the sixth largest freight rail system in North American and will be renamed Canadian Pacific Kansas City.
