Could the CBNS run to Sydney once again? (Photo by Tim Hayman)
Just as the date approaches that the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia (CBNS) Railway can apply to abandon the Sydney Subdivision, there’s a little glimmer of hope that the line might not be quite dead yet. On November 19th, Harbor Port Development Partners (HPDP) and the Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) issued a press release announcing that they are in discussions with CBNS to provide rail service for any future port developments in Sydney.
The HPDP was established to develop and market a deep water container port in Sydney, along with an adjacent logistics park. HPDP was also charged by CBRM with assembling a consortium of marine and financial service partners to realize this project. For such a project to be a success, securing suitable transportation options is an important step: hence the decision to reach out to the CBNS. There’s no doubt that a rail link would be extremely valuable for this sort of project.
St. Andrew’s Mayor Stan Choptiany finally sees light at the end of the tunnel, and is confident that there will be public transportation linking communities in Charlotte County with Saint John by late this fall.
“It’s happening,” he commented, following the July 22 inaugural meeting of the newly constituted not-for profit Southwest New Brunswick Transportation Authority Inc. It’s the result of two years of deliberations by the members of the Charlotte-York Transportation Committee, which initially met to find solutions to the lack of adequate public transit in this region of rural New Brunswick – especially to the regional centre, Saint John. The authority’s first act was to hire a project development co-ordinator on full-time contract. The successful applicant was Sue Farquharson of Due South Strategies.
The co-ordinator’s first task is to establish the by-laws, policies, and financial procedures of the newly incorporated authority in order to facilitate the establishment of a board of directors. Initially the proposed board will include the membership of seven municipal representatives, (mayors or their appointees), within the service area of the authority, as well as representatives of unincorporated areas, non-governmental organizations, and representatives of the existing dial-a-ride services in the region. Continue reading “Transit plan progresses in SW New Brunswick”→
The sun sets on the CBNS yard in Sydney, a few months before rail service on the line came to a halt. Let’s hope the sun hasn’t set on the rail line for good. Photo: Tim Hayman
The celebrated Orangedale whistle has been silent for nearly eight months, and the rails across Cape Breton from St. Peter’s Junction to Sydney lie rusty and unused. But optimism remains high that the 100 miles of track may yet be saved for future use.
The Minister’s Rail Advisory Committee – a group representing rail users, municipalities and the business community in general – was scheduled to meet on July 30 to hear the outcome of three reports commissioned by provincial Transportation Minister Geoff MacLellan. Consultants were to examine the long-term implications of rail service in Cape Breton, and the economics of rail versus highway transportation. An engineering study on the state of the long-neglected infrastructure was also included.
David Rae – dean of the Shannon School of Business at Cape Breton University and chair of the Scotia Rail Development Society – has been one of the prime movers behind the rail retention campaign. He’s leaving CBU at the end of the summer to return to the UK, but promises that he’s still going to be very much involved. Finding a successor to maintain the momentum behind the effort was one of the agenda items for a July 28th meeting in Sydney.
Dr. Rae remains optimistic that a solution will be found, and insists that rail is very important to Cape Breton’s future. He points to the potential intermodal traffic that could and should be moving by rail – relieving pressure on the already overburdened highway network and enhancing road safety for all users. He notes that the reopening of the Donkin coal mine will create a renewed need for trains, and adds that the port of Sydney really hasn’t much of a future without a rail link. Continue reading “Struggle to save Cape Breton line continues”→
