Quote:
Originally Posted by King&James
Just saying they hold a huge key in what can be a super positive and gamechanging focus for the west harbour, with a GO station at its doorstep. Think how different it could all be especially when combined with the Barton Tiffany lands. This is where the feds could really help, sure why not tap Justin and Co for a bunch of bills and quick approvals to locate a new shunting yard. Agree the Stelco lands would have made a nice alternate site, but more likely Milton or some other greenfield to the north or west.
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They do. And they probably know it too.
Milton was supposed to be getting a new CN intermodal hub on its south side, and my understanding is it was basically planned without much consultation with the town. A court recently blocked it though on the basis of health impacts due to diesel exhaust.
I believe that years ago there was a proposal to move the Hamilton yard to Aldershot, but the local residents balked and the idea never went anywhere.
CN (and CP) are up against a lot of opposition for big changes to their networks. Yet many environmentalists argue we should be moving cargo shipments from trucks to rail, without understanding the bigger picture and the economics of goods movement. The freight carriers don't do themselves any favours in the way they communicate and work with stakeholders though.
Personally I think the only local alternatives are to the east, between Winona and Grimsby. But that would take the operation farther from the mainline, and with all the development planned out that way the same issues will surface. The countryside to the west in Flamborough may be do-able too, but the topography is not as flat and it presents different environmental challenges and land-use conflicts.