Earlier this year, it appeared that a merger would take place between KCS and Canadian National (CN), CP's rival, after CN submitted a much higher bid than CP for KCS. But in September, CP upped its offer to $31 billion, still shy of CN's bid of $33.6 billion, but enough to convince KCS to accept the CP proposal. The comprehensive control application provides an overview of the proposed operational integration of the CP and KCS rail networks, the impact of that consolidation on the companies' finances and labor needs, and the anticipated competitive and other benefits that will flow from providing shippers with new transportation alternatives. Information in the filing outlines the public and customer benefits a CP-KCS combination would bring, including more efficient north-south trade arteries to support the interconnected supply chains of the United States, Mexico and Canada.