The pandemic shone a light on the essential services the US transportation industry provides and highlighted the limitations of its networks. We know companies are making decisions based on supply chains as they look to the future. I believe that is a tremendous opportunity for North America and 2023 will be a year that they collectively apply what all of us have learned during the pandemic and set a course for something better.
The next step for our historic railroad aligns perfectly with that reality. The expansion of our network through our proposed combination with Kansas City Southern, should the Surface Transportation Board provide its approval, will create a new single-line railroad that would provide greater market reach, bring more competition, create more capacity, and improve options for shippers in 2023 and beyond. These new options and the capacity that comes with them are examples of how the supply chain can become more resilient going forward.
Resiliency also means offering customers options and letting their business decisions guide our investments. In 2020, CP acquired the Central Maine & Quebec Railway and launched a new ocean container service through the port of Saint John, N.B. As customers began routing shipments through this deepwater port, we have hired crews and invested in track capacity. The result has truly been a benefit to CP and our customers. That is just the beginning. For example, our Lázaro Cárdenas-to-Midwest intermodal train launched earlier this year on an interline basis with KCS is a proof of concept and a sign of things to come with a combined Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) network.
Our story is all about growth. We are investing in our network and our people to support the tremendous growth potential that would flow from new competitive and reliable rail transportation options for inland shippers.