Deal Reached on Rail Line to Churchill - Finally!

Mowich

Hall of Fame Member
Dec 25, 2005
16,649
998
113
74
Eagle Creek
‘This is Historic:’ Deal Reached on Broken Rail Line to Churchill in Manitoba
August 31, 2018 08:16 PM in The Canadian Press

By The Canadian Press



An aerial view of the rail line and Via Rail station is shown in Churchill, Manitoba, Wednesday, July 4, 2018. A deal has been reached to sell and repair a broken rail line that is the only land link for the northern Manitoba town of Churchill. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)CHURCHILL, Man. – A deal has been reached to sell and repair a broken rail line that is the only land link for the northern Manitoba town of Churchill.

The community on Hudson Bay has been isolated since spring flooding in 2017 damaged the line and forced fuel and food to be flown in at skyrocketing costs.

The town said the deal includes the sale of the Hudson Bay Railway, the Port of Churchill and the Churchill Marine Tank Farm.

“This is great news,” Churchill Mayor Mike Spence said in an interview. “This is historic.”

A news release from the federal government late Friday said the assets have been purchased by the Arctic Gateway Group, a private-public partnership of Missinippi Rail Limited Partnership, Toronto-based Fairfax Financial Holdings and AGT Limited Partnership.

It said they are fully committed to the restoration of the Hudson Bay rail line.

“I want Canadians living in northern Manitoba and Nunavut to know that the government of Canada understands the importance of the line to their daily lives,” said Jim Carr, the minister of international trade diversification.

Dominic LeBlanc, the minister of intergovernmental and northern affairs and trade, added that it’s an important rail line for the people of Churchill and the surrounding communities who depend on it for their food supply and export of their grain.

It’s not clear how quickly repairs to the line can be done, but officials said in the news release that construction crews are mobilizing.

“Phase one of the project will be to repair the rail line, undertake safety and rehabilitation upgrades to the port and the railway assets,” said Paul Rivett, director of Arctic Gateway Group. “We will commence the repairs and do all we can to restore service expeditiously and safely.

“We are racing against time.”

Hudson Bay Railway has said the line has been losing money for years and the necessary repairs would cost tens of millions of dollars.

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister said the deal is positive for all Manitobans, particularly those who live in Churchill and northern Manitoba.

“We are hopeful the repair of the rail line can occur as soon as possible so that service can be resumed before freeze-up,” he said in a statement.

Pallister said, however, that they have made the financial commitments and logistical arrangements to ensure propane resupply for the winter.

Spence said he’s hoping the work can start next week and be completed this fall.

“We’ll let the contractors get it done and we’ll monitor it, naturally,” said the mayor. “We’re hoping this can get done in record time.”

Spence added that the deal is the light at the end of the tunnel.

“This community has been so solid, so strong and it’s been challenging, it’s been so difficult,” he said. “This afternoon, this evening, some of the folks I’ve just talked to are so happy, so pleased, and very excited about a bright future.”

https://www.chrisd.ca/2018/08/31/churchill-broken-rail-line-sale-deal/
 

MHz

Time Out
Mar 16, 2007
41,030
43
48
Red Deer AB
Now to hire a few Hobos to paint the boxcars with messages that get them to pass it so feeding the bears after death is an option with a low carbon footy print.
 

Mowich

Hall of Fame Member
Dec 25, 2005
16,649
998
113
74
Eagle Creek


I am so happy and relieved for the citizens of Churchill, pete. It was as if they were just written off and forgotten once the line was washed out. I can't imagine how the folks were able to make it through considering the enormous added costs they were paying for every single commodity that had to be transported by plane or barge. Happy Day for the community.
 

MHz

Time Out
Mar 16, 2007
41,030
43
48
Red Deer AB
Funny how rivers will do that eh. Sometimes it almost seems planned.

I hear this place is deserted after 12. Best catch a nap, lol.
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
108,904
11,186
113
Low Earth Orbit
I am so happy and relieved for the citizens of Churchill, pete. It was as if they were just written off and forgotten once the line was washed out. I can't imagine how the folks were able to make it through considering the enormous added costs they were paying for every single commodity that had to be transported by plane or barge. Happy Day for the community.

That line runs through Kamsack. It's a bucket list ride that you can wave it down and hop on or off anywhere along the route.
 

Danbones

Hall of Fame Member
Sep 23, 2015
24,505
2,197
113
So where do the buyers expect to make profits off this deal?
 

MHz

Time Out
Mar 16, 2007
41,030
43
48
Red Deer AB
At one time the mines were going to be used as a grow-op. Pretty big one if you need to ship by rail.
 

taxslave

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 25, 2008
36,362
4,336
113
Vancouver Island
So where do the buyers expect to make profits off this deal?

Oilexports. Since there is a perfectly good portion there and the ecotards prefer rail over pipelines win win.

Lots of minerals in the area to export for processing and buy back as trinkets too.
 

Curious Cdn

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 22, 2015
37,070
6
36
I am so happy and relieved for the citizens of Churchill, pete. It was as if they were just written off and forgotten once the line was washed out. I can't imagine how the folks were able to make it through considering the enormous added costs they were paying for every single commodity that had to be transported by plane or barge. Happy Day for the community.

It is a strategically important place to Canada. We're not very good at recognising these things in this country.
 

bill barilko

Senate Member
Mar 4, 2009
5,846
476
83
Vancouver-by-the-Sea
it’s an important rail line for the people of Churchill and the surrounding communities who depend on it for their food supply and export of their grain.
I wonder just how much grain is grown in the subarctic wilderness?


It’s not clear how quickly repairs to the line can be done, but officials said in the news release that construction crews are mobilizing.
Like I said on the CBC-there are three seasons in Manitoba-almost Winter, Winter and Construction and the latter is past nothing is going to happen for years yet if ever.

“Phase one of the project will be to repair the rail line, undertake safety and rehabilitation upgrades to the port and the railway assets,” said Paul Rivett, director of Arctic Gateway Group. “We will commence the repairs and do all we can to restore service expeditiously and safely.
Blah, Blah, Blah...show me the money.

“We are racing against time.”
You've already lost.
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
108,904
11,186
113
Low Earth Orbit
Winter is construction season on that line.

Muskeg, more muskeg followed by muskeg that needs to be frozen.
 

bill barilko

Senate Member
Mar 4, 2009
5,846
476
83
Vancouver-by-the-Sea
Company fixing Churchill rail line says repairs will be complete in 60 days
Oh FFS!

"This is state-of-the-art technology that really has never been tried before in Canada. It's been utilized in the world, but not in Canada," said Breault.
Wait until the spring melt and see why it's never been tried.

They need Russian technology to deal with these issues-the issue of course is that Russia has never found anything that works.
 

Curious Cdn

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 22, 2015
37,070
6
36
Winter is construction season on that line.
Muskeg, more muskeg followed by muskeg that needs to be frozen.
All that you can do is keep pouring ballast on to the rail bed as it slowly sinks into the goo.