Regina Mayor hints ring road rail talks “on steroids”

It is the dread of any Regina motorist, a train crossing the Ring Road. And while talks to move the tracks have existed for decades, there are hints it is the closest ever to actually happening.

Regina Mayor Sandra Masters claims both CN and CP have reached out to her office in the last six weeks to start discussing working together to move the tracks.

“It is about coming together to figure out how to head it north of town in order to serve the industry that wants to locate there. It is because of some of the announcements that you are seeing coming (the canola crushing plants) and the understanding that 50-60 per cent of that is all going to move by rail so there is an impetus to move it north of the city and get it off Ring Road,” Masters explained.

She admitted CP and CN don’t spend a lot of money moving their own rail but grants and programs are available from the province and the federal government with the city contributing as well.

Regina taxpayers and drivers may read this with a case of déjà vu in their minds as these discussions have been a topic of conversation for several years.

Masters is showing a lot more confidence than her predecessors.

“The tracks on Ring Road will be relocated. I am very confident in that actually in the big scheme of things. Whether that is three years from now or five years from now, it will be coming. It really is a question of how fast we can get that initial study done, which again, is probably put on a bit of a fast track due to some of these announcements and then it will be a matter of getting the construction in place to be make it happen,” Masters insisted.

It is likely more information will be forthcoming later this year as Masters and the Regina administration solidify some of the details.

The city had initiated a study to figure out moving the tracks which is due in the next year or two. That has now been sped up because of the interest from the rail companies.

The refinery next to Ring Road

The Co-op Refinery Complex is looking at this development as a positive.

Brad DeLorey is the Director of Public Affairs for the refinery. He said the company has had lots of consultations with the City of Regina over the past month.

“The city has been very diligent with their communications with us and with their consultations with us.

We know this is a long project and one that we will be involved in from the beginning until its completion,” said DeLorey.

He explained the company has been building around the railway system for years as it expanded.

“This will provide us an opportunity to look at that infrastructure and create efficiencies as we move forward and as this project goes forward,” said DeLorey.

DeLorey couldn’t say for sure, but was certain the project would have been brought up in the company’s frequent conversations with CP Rail and CN Rail. He said there hadn’t been any conversations about the refinery contributing to the cost of the project.