On the east-west access, there is no doubt that a lot of competition exists between CN and CP. When the interswitching distance was 30 km, it was in urban areas, especially industrial areas. It’s important to state that the exceptions established so that American railway companies do not have access to the entire network are the same as those on the north-south axis.
So rest assured; it is possible for a shipper in Trois-Rivières to have access to the CN or the CP network using shortlines. That exists today.
The 30-km interswitching distance has been very good for a number of years. The 160-km distance was a temporary measure. There is no doubt that an interswitching distance of 1,200 km will create major problems.