By Justin Franz

The railroad world could know the fate of the largest proposed railroad merger in a generation by 11 a.m. tomorrow. 

On Tuesday, the U.S. Surface Transportation Board announced that it would be holding a press conference at 11 a.m. Wednesday regarding the agency’s decision on the proposed acquisition of Kansas City Southern by Canadian Pacific. Members of the media will have a chance to ask questions of Chairman Martin Oberman. 

If the STB allows CP to take control of KCS, it would be the first major railroad consolidation since the merger mania of the 1990s. If it rejects it, however, it would be a bombshell decision akin to the rejection of the Southern Pacific-Santa Fe merger of the 1980s. 

Follow Railfan & Railroad on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and right here online all day Wednesday for coverage of the CP-KCS decision. And for all the latest railroad news in print every month, subscribe to Railfan & Railroad Magazine.