CLINTON, Iowa — The Clinton City Council has given preliminary approval to a $1 million agreement with Canadian Pacific to address potential impacts of CP’s merger with Kansas City Southern.
The Clinton Herald reports that at a Wednesday meeting, the council voted unanimously to advance the agreement, meaning it will vote on formal acceptance at its Sept. 27 meeting. In exchange for the funds — which would be used for crossing-gate signals as part of a quiet-zone project, and to support closure of one grade crossing — the city would agree not to oppose the merger. The funds are contingent on Surface Transportation Board approval of the merger.
Clinton would join Iowa cities including Davenport, Bettendorf, Muscatine, and LeClaire in approving agreements with the railroad [see “CP reaches agreement …,” Trains News Wire, Sept. 7, 2022].
I can see why Camanche, Iowa rejected the offer. They have 7 crossings in the town. They already have closed 2 street level crossings and have no bridge to reach the 30% of the town that is between the tracks and the river. The fire station is west of the tracks, so if there is a house fire and CPKC is running a 3 mile long PSR consist, you can kiss that house goodbye. It’s one of the few towns where the railroad does not follow the river shore but cuts through a bend and therefore cuts the town into 2 pieces.
I wonder if the Union Pacific can intervene somehow to coerce CP to build a fly-over the current diamond in Clinton.
UP has had a clear span bridge over the Mississippi river in the planning stages for over a decade now. One assumes that would include a flyover over the CP grade.
A bridge over the CPKC wouldn’t be the issue it appears. It is the fact that the 2nd Street viaduct would have to be resolved (CP and UP share it). Also if memory serves, UP would have to demolish the former Clinton MILW Station on 11th Street to get the necessary runway to get the elevation for the bridge. This means UP would have to cede some of their ROW over to CP to maintain the connection where they share trackage. CP enters from the north of UP, but continues south of the UP. Both require access to the ADM works that dominate local rail traffic for both in the specific area. Otherwise, the only other option is for UP to elevate the entire section starting at the old MILW freight yards at 14th Street.