Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd is abandoning its threat of a proxy battle to replace directors at takeover target Norfolk Southern Corp, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. Norfolk Southern has repeatedly rejected Canadian Pacific’s takeover offers, hoping to persuade shareholders that it is better off as a standalone company. A Norfolk Southern spokeswoman declined to comment, while Canadian Pacific officials were not immediately available for comment. The Canadian railway is thinking of submitting a proxy resolution that would seek support from shareholders to nudge Norfolk Southern to enter merger discussions, WSJ reported, citing the source. Opposition against the deal, initially valued at about $28 billion when its was first announced last November, has been mounting. A number of industry groups, rail customers and a couple of the unions representing workers at Norfolk Southern have come out against the merger. Canadian Pacific has been surprised by the force of the opposition to the deal, which reduces the chances of a successful hostile takeover, WSJ said.