Reeve says CP told her rail relocation is a no-go
The rural municipality of Corman Park’s reeve says a Canadian Pacific (CP) executive told her the rail giant has no intention of moving train tracks out of Saskatoon.
Reeve Judy Harwood said in interviews last week she spoke with CP’s director of government relations, Mike LoVecchio, at the annual Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) convention in Regina earlier this month.
Harwood said LoVecchio told her, “CP has no designs on doing anything.” CP declined to comment.
Harwood was concerned after a City of Saskatoon consultants’ report urged city hall to focus on relocating the CP train tracks that dissect the city to address railway crossing delays.
The preferred route promoted by the consultants would relocate the CP line through land located in Corman Park, which Harwood said has concerned both residents and councillors.
“It upsets your residents because, good Lord, you look on the map and it looks like (the relocated line) might go through your living room,” Harwood said. “After talking with CP, I don’t see it happening.”
LoVecchio declined to comment when contacted, referring The StarPhoenix to CP’s media relations department. CP media relations referred The StarPhoenix to a page on its website with a blurb on rail relocation, warning that it is complex and expensive.
On Friday, Harwood said LoVecchio called the RM office after being contacted by The StarPhoenix and tried to soften his stance, but she stands by what she was told at SARM.
Harwood said she used the assurances she received from CP to calm her councillors after the city’s consultants’ report was released.
The consultants’ report suggests rail relocation is a preferred option to address train delays instead of overpasses and underpasses.
The study estimates the cost of rail relocation at $589.7 million, while the cost of building overpasses and underpasses at nine locations where CP or Canadian National lines cross roads is listed at $374.4 million.
In neither scenario does the cost outweigh the tangible economic benefits, the report concludes, but rail relocation is recommended because overpasses and underpasses are considered too disruptive.
Rail relocation has historically been considered unattainable because of the high costs and a perceived unwillingness by the two railway companies to participate.
The area where the rail lines would locate is within an area the province was considering for its former perimeter highway project to bypass traffic around Saskatoon. The province abandoned plans to route a highway through that sector because there were too many obstacles like land that had already been developed.
Harwood said she thinks Saskatoon should focus on underpasses and overpasses instead of rail relocation. Saskatoon city council is expected to vote today on whether to adopt the course of action recommended by the report.
Council may also decide to examine ranking railway crossings by priority to determine the viability of underpasses and overpasses.
Harwood said if the City of Saskatoon pursues rail relocation, the RM of Corman Park should have a seat at the planning table.