A Canadian National Railway spokesman says that maximum train lengths in Borderland have not been extended.
Patrick Waldron, CN spokesperson, said Monday that the maximum train lengths traveling through Borderland have been consistent, and he said a longer train could measure 10,000 feet in length. “That would not be unusual,” he told The Journal.
A comment made by a local resident at a recent public meeting about the company extending the length of trains was inaccurate, he said.
Meanwhile, Waldron said a project underway in Ranier should improve the intermittent delays that vehicles experience at the rail crossing on the Van Lynn Road, also known as County Road 24, and at Ranier. The project is expected to be completed in the next several weeks.
Waldron explained that the project is designed to reduce congestion and improve train movements through the Ranier yard, which is located between Spruce Street and the Van Lynn Road.
“The improvements will decrease the delays of the train and at the same time we expect to decrease the extended blockages at the Van Lynn Road,” said Waldron.
The project involves extending by more than 5,000 feet a track, known as a siding. “And next to that extended track, we’re constructing two concrete pads, almost like a little parking lot, where a special crane can remove intermodel containers,” said Waldron.
Now, if a container must be removed from a train to undergo inspections by U.S. Customs, or for other reasons, he said CN must do a series of train movements to isolate the container to take it off the train. That means the train must stay in Ranier for a period of time while the train movements take place to isolate the container.
“What this project allows us to do is the train can stay together, basically, and stop on this new, longer siding track, without being on the Van Lynn or Spruce Street and the (crane will come up to the train and the) container can be removed and the train can continue on its way,” said Waldron.
