13 August 2005
Train Halts Traffic in Pitt Meadows
Pitt Meadows - Traffic in Pitt Meadows was held hostage for more than 30 minutes
Wednesday while a Canadian Pacific Railway train blocked the crossing on Harris Road.
"It is amazing they can hold up traffic like this," said Dave Harnett, who was heading toward Port Coquitlam. "I've
been held up before, but not for this long. I didn't think they were allowed to block traffic for so long."
Around 2:30 p.m., a CP train stopped at the crossing, blocking both pedestrians and vehicles on both sides of the tracks.
Twenty minutes later, vehicles started turning around. A few daring pedestrians clambered over freight cars to get across. Harnett
said the train sat there for another 20 minutes.
According to Transport Canada, stopped trains are allowed to occupy public crossings for up to five minutes. A moving train can
occupy a crossing without violation.
CP confirmed that one of their trains had problems while crossing Harris Road. "It is a rare occurrence," said Ed
Greenberg of CP. "We are still looking into what happened."
CP explained that a train leaving the inter-modal yard experienced a mechanical failure in one of two locomotives.
Safeguards in the computerized system forced the train to a halt. "They have not pinpointed whether it was the lead or
tail-end locomotive," said Greenberg. "Both have been taken into the mechanical shop for inspection."
CP said they tried to move the train as quickly as they could and emphasized they had protocol in place to split the train if an
emergency vehicle needed to use the crossing.
The District of Pitt Meadows received several complaints about the hold up.
An overpass is planned for Maple Meadows Way, in conjunction with the construction of the Golden Ears Bridge, to be complete by
2009.
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