31 August 2007
Trainyard Angers Residents
Ayr Ontario - Local residents aren't exactly embracing a
proposed new Canadian Pacific railway yard slated for Wolverton.
Frustrated by the company's alleged lack of transparency, and the lack of tangible involvement from the affected municipalities, Oxford
County and North Dumfries councillors are dismayed by the location of the planned yard. With this location within spitting distance of
the Trussler and Northumberland crossings, these municipal officials are worried a long train, while slowing to enter the new yard,
could effectively cut off essential emergency vehicles from the northern areas of the two townships.
"An 80-car train will cover both roads," North Dumfries Coun. Sue Foxton said at Thursday's public information
meeting. "We have to start talking with them now... if they're going to (potentially) cut off access."
Blandford-Blenheim Mayor Kenn Howling, while equally frustrated with the process to date, said Canadian Pacific executives
should realize there "is room for compromise".
While railways in Canada are governed by federal legislation, and not subject to municipal authority, Howling insisted local
politicians - and residents - should have more influence on the current process. "Citizens have no input because they're the
railroad," he said. "It's kind of disgusting. We're the people who live here and enjoying a certain quality of life. It's
disgusting it can be interrupted or affected without public input. "There are compromises available, and an overpass (on Trussler
Road) would definitely soften the blow."
While Michel Spenard, Canadian Pacific's public affairs manager, said his company was learning about local concerns, he stressed that
an overpass "was not in the plans right now." Because of additional worries about visibility issues on Trussler Road, he did
indicate Canadian Pacific would be amenable to some sort of "early warning system" on top of the problematic hill.
"It seems like a doable thing," he said at the public information session. "The technology exists. That's the benefit of
being able to talk with elected officials and citizens."
Spenard also indicated that Oxford Warden Paul Holbrough exacted a promise from Canadian Pacific to "work out a plan" to help
emergency service vehicles when a train is blocking one of the crossings. The spokesperson said his company would be able to tell these
first responders the approximate time of the delay, or, in the case of an acute emergency, actually "break the train apart."
"That wouldn't be instantaneous," he said, "but could be done in a reasonable amount of time."
According to information presented at the session, Canadian Pacific officials have been actively considering the project for some
months but didn't make a formal decision on the yard until 31 Jul 2007. In addition to an environmental study intended to
gauge the impact on local wildlife and surface water resources, the company also conducted noise modeling to determine the
"disruption" for area residents.
The yard itself will consist of eight tracks and an administrative building for operations management. The Wolverton yard is slated for
around-the-clock operations, which primarily involve "the grouping of rail cars" for different destinations
along the rail corridor. The project description stated six trains will pick up the rail cars while four trains will be responsible for
delivery. The description also stated that four other trains would arrive and depart the Wolverton yard on an average day.
The impetus for the yard, Spenard said, was largely economic. Canadian Pacific is focused on increasing the efficiency of its
operations, which, with its more powerful locomotives, means longer freight trains. With the rail corridor considered a "vital
transportation" route for manufacturers and international importers/exporters, the company opted for a new yard to
"accommodate rising consumer demands."
The company's existing yards in Galt and Woodstock were described as landlocked by urban development, rendering both unsuitable for
expansion. "It's our long-range plan to operate longer trains," Spenard said. "It's simply economies of
scale."
The public information session was one of the company's first formal acknowledgements of its Wolverton project, although there had been
rumours following the company's acquisition of the needed land, which rests between Blandford-Blenheim and Trussler roads.
Municipal officials weren't effectively notified until earlier this week, an approach that Spenard characterized as unavoidable because
of certain "limitations."
"We've had practically zero communication," Foxton said. "It has started now, but I wish it had started a year ago.
They're coming to the table now. We know it's going to happen. We'll make it workable... but now I want to get it in writing."
In addition to the safety concerns, residents who attended the public information session also expressed worries about the noise
levels, traffic problems, environmental impacts, and light pollution from the passing trains. "This makes me want to vomit,"
one woman said at the session.
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