Two railroads to join as one

A new regional railroad will be created when ambitious upstart D-M-and-E buys the I-and-M Rail Link, adding access to major hubs including Kansas City and Chicago. Union Pacific railroad spokesman Mark Davis in Omaha says the potential new competition isn’t a bad thing.Davis says they encourage competition and it’s part of a cycle in which many small railroads merged, became big, then broke up into regional operations. Now there’s some competition between not only large but regional railroads on both sides of the Mississippi. When it comes to hauling materials and products in large amounts, Davis says nothing will ever replace the railroads. For example, every G-M car and truck made last year was hauled on a train, plus they carried the metal and parts to Detroit to make them. A list of jobs to be filled on the new regional railroad is posted at the website www.dmerail.com.