05-14-2014 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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A majority of the CP traffic used its main track from northwestern Minnesota that parallels Highway 55 and goes through the Twin Cities using either its track or the BNSF track to the main CP yard in the Pig's Eye area of St. Paul. The BNSF track was in better condition and allowed higher speeds. The BNSF track was busy but had available capacity and the operation was working for the CP. In 2012 the CP operations underwent several changes that have impacted the tracks in Little Canada. Some were a result of the increase in freight traffic nationally and others were the decisions of CP management. • The traffic levels on the BNSF have increased to a point where the operations are experiencing congestion. This increase is a combination of general improvement In the economy and specific areas such as the North Dakota oil boom. This congestion has put pressure on the CP to find additional capacity to haul their freight. The CP was using the BNSF tracks for most of their through shipments. A railroad that uses another railroad's track pays a fee to use that track. • The CP has a new upper management team that has been making major changes to the overall operations. One of their decisions is to shift traffic from the BNSF to the CP tracks through Little Canada. The CP will upgrade the rail, ties, and train signals, to handle the increase in traffic. These improvements have been completed in the Cardigan Yard area and will continue south over the next few years. In addition to having more control over their operations, it reduces the interchange fees that would be paid to outside railroads. • In addition to the increase in through traffic, there have been changes to interchange points within the Twin Cities for both its cars and the CN's trains. To handle this, Cardigan Yard has been undergoing a major upgrade that includes new train signals and track realignments to allow for a better movements to the south. Last fall the dties of Little Canada, Shoreview and Ramsey County met with the CP to discuss numerous Issues, Including the increase In noise. As a result of that meeting Interchange movements have been adjusted to limit idling locomotives and at -grade crossings being blocked by stopped trains, • The St. Paul subdivision connects with the BNSF in St. Paul near I -35E and Maryland Avenue. The major impediment to the increase in traffic on the St. Paul Sub was the low capacity turnout between the BNSF and CP tracks. The turnout was slow speed but it was also hand throw switch which limited how many trains could use it per day because it causes such an impact to the BNSF capacity. A construction project is planned that will upgrade this turnout to a powered switch that would allow for more capacity. These changes would allow the St. Paul Sub to increase its trains to between 5 and 8 per day, • The CP has also been in discussion with MnDOT Railroad Office about crossing safety. MnDOT is the ruling agency that determines what the appropriate warning devices are at at -grade crossings. They completed a field evaluation in May of 2013. Their recommendations are based on sight distance, train speed, crash history and roadway volumes. Based on a no increase in speed, no changes would be required. If the train speed is increased, additional crossing improvements would be required. 2.0 Railroad Crossing Quiet Zones In the 1996 legislation, the federal government preempted local and state governments from regulating train hom noise. In 2005, after many years of investigation and rule making, final rules regulating train horn noise were adopted. There are six public grade crossings within the City that could be included in a federally approved railroad quiet zone. LITTC 126672 Page 2 7 Railroad Quiet Zone Report City of Little Canada