Getting on Track

Thursday, December 15, 2005 03:49 AM

It would now seem that Transport Canada does not share the same ideas as some people associated with CN rail. The idea that has been simmering just below the surface, is that disgruntled BC Rail employees were likely the reason for the terrible record of CN on the old BCRail line. As it turns out, that idea, is simply a myth and the transport department has put more focus on this region in an effort to stop the terrible record of derailments by CN.

It is an accepted fact and known by Transport Canada that the BCRail system was held up as one of the best maintained railways in Canada. In order to change that position something major had to happen. Was it neglect, was it trains that were over loaded that are causing the problem? There can be few reasons and that is why the Transport Department has now put CN Rail on a sixty day trial period to see what they can do to change their record.

Smaller trains have been ordered, nothing over 80 cars unless there is a separate engine in the center of the line.

It points to a concern that the federal government has with the way the line has been operated. All we need now is to have the provincial government acknowledge that the sale may not have been in the best interests of this province.

I’m Meisner and that is one man’s opinion

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Posted on Thursday, December 15, 2005 03:49 AM in Views by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: ammonra on December 15 2005 8:35 AM

"disgruntled BC Rail employees were likely the reason for the terrible record of CN on the old BCRail line. As it turns out, that idea, is simply a myth"

It sounds more like a malicious anti-union lying libel to me. Isn't it surprising how every negative consequence is automatically blamed on "disgruntled union employees"? Easy targets may be the focus of the attacks, but lies and libel are still lies and libel. Why not call it what it is, Ben? You're not usually that reticent.

Posted by: diplomat on December 15 2005 11:06 AM

>All we need now is to have the provincial government acknowledge that the sale may not have been in the best interests of this province.<

Do I "need" to have this acknowledged? No. What difference would it make? Perhaps those who opted for a sale still believe that it was the best choice?

During the decade of the NDP plenty of mistakes and plain boondoggles were made, as I remember very clearly; and you, Ben, were very critical of those. Did the NDP government ever acknowledge that some of its decisions (like the money wasted on the FAST FERRIES!) were not in the best interest of the province - like doubling the debt of the province from 17 billion to 34 billion by simply never paying the interest due every year?

How easy it is to claim a "balanced budget" when the non payment of annual interest charges is left out of the financial equation!

The lenders get our interest payments and we got nothing in return.

The railroad sale is final. Any problems are now the new owner's responsibility.

Let's get on with re-building B.C. after the dismal decade.

Posted by: Palopu on December 15 2005 11:10 AM

Derailments and accidents were the order of the day when BC Rail was owned by the BC Government. There may be a few more this year than usual, however Derailments, Slides, Dangerous Goods incidents were all part of the BC Rail operating picture over the years. I suggest you look at the BC Rail record over the last 10 years and you will get a better idea of their operating record.

I suggest that if the CN gets to much heat from running long trains south they will run all traffic from 100 Mile House North through Prince George and then South to Vancouver. This will be the first step in closing the line from 100 Mile to Squamish which is high on maintenance and low on generating any revenue.

Posted by: diplomat on December 15 2005 1:15 PM

>Derailments and accidents were the order of the day when BC Rail was owned by the BC Government.<

Exactly.

CN Rail has to improve the tracks, heighten the tunnels that are now too low for double stacked containers and so invest huge amounts of money to accommodate the new traffic arising from the outlet to the Asian shipping to/from Prince Rupert once the container terminal is fully operational.

A national railroad has way deeper pockets than a regional one.

Any "ideas" floating around that union employees are somehow involved are preposterous and not to be taken seriously or even repeated as a considered possibility.

Posted by: Death to Socialism on December 15 2005 3:14 PM

Do we HAVE to keep rehashing this tired crap??? BC Rail had plenty of derailments too, the employees would boast about 'em cause they meant massive overtime pay.

Posted by: diplomat on December 15 2005 4:34 PM

>Do we HAVE to keep rehashing this tired crap???<

No. Nobody has to do anything. This blog is called Opinion250 for a reason: It is for expressing opinions! If you don't like 'em, tough.

Posted by: Chester on December 16 2005 8:06 PM

It's interesting how nobody has mentioned human error in some of these derailments.

Let's face it, the crews on the trains know what is causing these derailments.

Has anyone screwed up in the area of switching?

Or, could it be that the person at the rear of the train is pushing the cars more than the person in the front pulling the cars?

When you have two powerful engines at each end and they are not communicating to each other, just imagine what could happen if the two engines are not in sync?

Let's look at all of the possible causes for these derailments? I would like to suggest that track maintenance is only one factor in this issue.

Let's hear from the train crews who are on the trains. Will you take any responsibility for some of the problems?
Chester

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on December 18 2005 7:13 PM

So sorry but there are definitly people in the engines that keep putting trains off the tracks, not myths. Sounds like fun. I certainly don't have the experience of the ex BC Rail boys, but give me a chance. I'd like a crack at putting a train off the tracks.
Let's face it, something funny is going on. If is only takes a week or two, to turn a prefectly good set of rails into junk, I want in on it! ToooToT get out of the way!!