A look at Tuesday morning rail news:
— Montreal has become the latest city where protestors are blocking rail lines in support of pipeline protests in British Columbia. This morning, commuter rail service exo cancelled trains on its Candiac line for the second straight day because of blocked line, substituting bus service, CTV news reports. On Monday, Canadian police began clearing protesters who had been blocking tracks elsewhere, the New York Times reports, arresting at least 47 people, but rail service remains severely restricted. On Monday, CN Executive Vice President Sean Finn told the Financial Post, “There is no train service between eastern and western Canada as we speak.” And as of this morning, VIA Rail Canada is reporting that the blockade near Belleville, Ontario, continues and trains remained cancelled between Montreal and Toronto, and Ottawa and Toronto.
— Supporters of the proposed Northern Lights Express passenger train between Duluth/Superior and the Twin Cities are requesting $40 million in funding to prepare for the service, KBJR-TV reports. The money would be used for line-capacity projects and for work on a bridge between Duluth and Superior.
— The Chicago Transit Authority board has approved a $38 million contract for a final environmental study and preliminary engineering of a proposed 5-mile southern extension of the CTA’s Red Line. WTTW-TV reports that the reports are a necessary step to receive federal funding for the $2.3-billion project.
— The three-person Mobile (Ala.) County Commission could become the latest governmental body asked to help fund the return of Amtrak service along the Gulf Coast, AL.com reports. Two commissioners told the news service that there has been no formal presentation or request for funding, but a third says he supports the project and anticipates the county spending up to $3 million over a three-year period.
As for the frontier people in Canada protesting an oil pipeline, go ahead and replace your trucks with EV’s and get back to me when the temps hit 22 below.
As for the Duluth to Twin Cities rail service, Wisconsin DOT has given up getting an upgraded road to Superior, so if MinnDOT wants to sink $40 million, where I-35 already exists, hey its your money go for it. Twin Cities may want to export the current crime wave being generated by their new light rail system.
As for the CTA Red Line extension…130th and Michigan is Altgeld Gardens and very low density housing in the Little Calumet industrial district. Perfect place to build an EOL yard I guess. No NIMBY’s there to protest.
I guess the Mayor of Chicago and the Cook County Chairwoman have won their ways. There are already 25 train stations in a 5 square mile zone below 87th to 127th. And now the CTA is adding yet 4 more raising it to 29.
And they said this part of the city is “underserved”. Hardly.