That transaction would form the first coast-to-coast U.S. rail operator and has stoked investor interest in potential follow-up deals across the industry. CPKC pushed back against this momentum, arguing that the benefits often touted from mergers can be achieved via cooperation among existing carriers. "We believe that a transcontinental merger would trigger permanent restructuring of the industry and result in a disproportionately large railway whose size and scope would require others to take action," said Keith Creel, CPKC President and CEO. The company emphasized that interline arrangements and strategic partnerships, such as its Southeast Mexico Express venture with CSX, offer railroads the ability to deliver service improvements without consolidation. Creel added, "This will likely result in an unnecessary wave of railway mergers that today is not the best way to support American businesses nor the public interest, and has the potential to create more issues than it solves."