Canadian National Railway Company Request for Approval of Proposed Railway Works in the Town of Milton
- CN shared correspondence to the Minister of Transport relating to the construction of a grade separated railway crossing in Milton Ontario, as part of their new intermodal rail yard project in Milton (hub would be used to transfer containers between trucks and railcars).
- The Town of Milton has raised an objection to CN’s notice of railway works related to this grade separation, and CN and the town have been unable to resolve this objection.
- As a result, CN applied to the Minister for approval to construct this grade separation in February 2023, and the decision must be issued by April 18, 2023.
SUPPLEMENTARY MESSAGES
- CN is proposing to build an intermodal logistics hub designed to transfer commercial containers between trucks and railcars, which would include a railway yard with more than 20 kilometers of track in the town of Milton, Ontario.
- The town of Milton raised concerns with the adequacy of drawings, and the potential for the proposed design of the grade separation to alter drainage.
UPDATE
Following a detailed review of the documentation submitted by all parties, including CN’s engineering drawings, the department has concluded their analysis and will provide a response to ensure safe railway operations.
SUPPORTING FACTS AND FIGURES
N/A
BACKGROUND
Under the Railway Safety Act, prior to undertaking construction activities, a railway must provide a notice of railway works to relevant recipients, including municipalities and adjacent landowners. A person who receives a notice may file an objection with the company if the person considers that the proposed railway work would affect their safety or the safety of their property. When a proponent receives an objection that cannot be resolved, they must request approval from the Minister of Transport prior to undertaking the railway work.
Two notices were sent, including:
- CN received objections on the first notice re general drainage of the railyard, which they requested Min approval and was granted in Nov 2022.
- Objections on the second notice re construction of new underpass road crossing could not be resolved. This item pertains to today’s briefing item / current updates.