CN to File for Abandonment

What Does This Mean to You and Your Community?

Should CN ultimately receive authority to abandon the Line:

*there will little if any future opportunity for the communities along the Line to grow and prosper and many communities will deteriorate and some may disappear, as the likihood of attracting any industry or industrial development to a community not served by a railroad is slim many producers (in particular those east of Drumheller) will continue to be required to haul their output to market 25, 50 to 100 miles from their farm gate and the current trucking subsidies paid by grain companies will dry up and disappear
* the County road system will be subject to Super B and other truck traffic for years to come which will eventually destroy the grid road system, unless major road maintenance and upgrades are done on a regular basis, at significant costs to rate payers

What Can be Done About Saving the Railway

• Palliser Regional Municipal Services Ltd. (Palliser) has been given the task to develop a recovery plan for the proposed rail line discontinuance announced by CN Railway in November 2008. A steering committee has been established that includes representatives from communities located along the rail line. RailWest Management Ltd. a short line railway consulting company has determined it is feasibility to acquire the assets of the Line before it can be abandoned.
• 1504499 Alberta Ltd. was incorporated pursuant to the Alberta Business Corporations Act for the purposes of the purchase - lease of the Oyen and Drumheller Subdivisions between Mile 68.40, near Oyen , to mile 109.80, near Lyalta (the "Line") a distance of 177.80 miles.
• Public meetings have been held at Oyen, Hanna, Delia, Morrin, Drumheller, Rosebud and Lyalta to inform the public about the upcoming abandonment and ways to prevent it.
• A business plan has been completed, showing the initial costs and the benefits and operating costs of acquiring the Line.
• Initiatives are underway to raise the capital required to complete the purchase of a portion of the Line and the lease of the balance of the Line from CN.

What's In It For You!

* Savings between $600 to $1,200 for each producer car loaded
* Dramatically shorter hauling distances east of Drumheller
* Assurance of the continuation of trucking subsidies at many locations
* Rail Service "on demand"
* Safety net as the price of fuel rises
* Avoidance of fuel surcharges by truckers

Communities:

* Retention of community identity and the current way of life Retention of industrial development opportunities
* Establishment of producer car loading facilities at selected locations to replace the business formerly associated with producers hauling to country elevators

Counties / Special Areas:

* Retention of tax base Fewer trucks on the County road system