Regulators ask CPKC to outline plans for recovery from computer-related issues

A Kansas City Southern intermodal train heads for the UP Brownsville Subdivision at Robstown, Texas, in November 2017. The Surface Transportation Board is asking CPKC to outline its plans to address service issues in the southern U.S. following a computer-system cutover in May. Bill Stephens

WASHINGTON — Surface Transportation Board Chairman Patrick Fuchs has called on CPKC to provide the board with a plan to address issues resulting from last month’s computer cutover for former Kansas City Southern portions of its system.

The cutover, which occurred the weekend of May 3, has led to service issues in Louisiana, eastern Texas, and parts of Mississippi, as initially reported by Trains News Wire here CPKC system cutover triggers service woes ….

“The agency has engaged with CPKC customers who continue to report elevated delays, missed switches, and congestion,” Fuchs wrote in a letter today (June 17, 2025) to CPKC CEO Keith Creel, citing board data showing higher dwell at key yards, and decreases in velocity, on-time performance, and industry spot and pull. The letter says the board expects CPKC to provide a Service Action Plan to address the issues by this Friday, June 20.

Fuchs wrote that he expects that plan to “detail the specific, concrete steps CPKC intends to take to recover from its current state, communicate effectively with its customers, and interchange efficiently with other carriers: and to “include key performance indicators, the railroad’s best estimate for the timing of recovery, and relevant information about any forthcoming technological changes.”

A CPKC spokesman said the railroad will provide the plan as requested.

Some customers previously told Trains News Wire they had diverted some traffic to trucks or requested alternate routings to avoid the U.S. part of the CPKC system. Creel told a May 21 investor conference that he expected the situation to be normalized in two to three weeks.

Upcoming FreightWaves Events
Fraud & Security

Freight Fraud Symposium

Double brokering. AI deepfakes. Identity theft. Freight fraud is an existential threat to the industry. Get ahead of it.

May 20, 2026
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame • Cleveland, OH
Register Now
AI & Technology

Supply Chain AI Symposium

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

July 15, 2026
The Old Post Office • Chicago, IL
Register Now
Rail & Policy

Future of Rail Symposium

Reshoring is rewriting freight demand. Join shippers, rail executives, and government officials to shape the next decade.

July 28, 2026
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN
Register Now
Fraud & Security Freight Fraud Symposium May 20 • Cleveland, OH

Double brokering. AI deepfakes. Identity theft. Freight fraud is an existential threat to the industry. Get ahead of it.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame • Cleveland, OH Register Now
AI & Technology Supply Chain AI Symposium Jul 15 • Chicago, IL

Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.

The Old Post Office • Chicago, IL Register Now
Rail & Policy Future of Rail Symposium Jul 28 • Chattanooga, TN

Reshoring is rewriting freight demand. Join shippers, rail executives, and government officials to shape the next decade.

The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now