REGINA, Saskatchewan — The Canadian government will provide $18.3 million for four rail infrastructure projects in Regina and southern Saskatchewan, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced Thursday.
Projects and funding planned include:
— C$13.5 million for a grade stabilization project on the Canadian Pacific interchange near Eston, Sask.; Last Mountain Railway, an 85-mile short line between Regina and Davidson, Sask., which primarily hauls grain, will also provide $13.5 million.
— C$2.2 million to build 12,000 feet of new track at the interchange between Candian Pacific and the Stewart Southern Railway in Lajord, Sask. Purely Canada Foods, a producer of grains and other products, will provide the remainder of the funds for the $6.5 million project.
— C$1.6 million for a new yard at the Canadian Pacific interchange with Great Western Railway near Assiniboia, Sask. Great Western, which operates almost 400 miles of former CP trackage, will also provide $1.6 million.
— C$1 million to fund preliminary design work to relocate railroad crossings in Regina. The City of Regina is contributing $1.4 million.
The government support comes from the National Trade Corridors Fund.
Alghabra said in a press release that the projects “strengthen the efficiency of supply chains from the southern Saskatchewan trade area by improving capacity to support growth in volume of goods shipped to overseas markets, and eliminating bottlenecks between road and rail transportation. This will ensure Canada stays competitive in international markets and strengthen our economy for Canadians at home.”
Is CP too poor (KSC merger) to upgrade interchanges with their transportation partners? The article doesn’t mention CP paying any portion of these upgrades.