Next-Gen Freight Rail Sets Agenda for the 2020s April 08, 2021 Next-Gen Freight Rail Sets Agenda for the 2020s Written by David Nahass, Financial Editor FINANCIAL EDGE, RAILWAY AGE APRIL 2021 ISSUE: The tone and context of Railway Age’s Next-Gen Freight Rail conference held virtually on March 10, 2021 changes rapidly when viewed through the blockbuster announcement of Canadian Pacific’s (CP) acquisition of Kansas City Southern (KCS). One can only wonder what messages Creel and Ottensmeyer were sending to each other in the private chat of the conference platform: “How cool would it be if we could announce it right now?” “Oh, that’d be so awesome, NO ONE’s expecting this. There’d just be silence.” “LMAO. C’mon let’s do it.” “Ugh, my BOD would kill me.” “Me too ;-).”