by CHRIS ROGERS

 

A proposed merger between two railroad companies would increase train traffic in Winona and other Minnesota river towns by 50 percent, increasing the number of trains per day from 12 to 18, according to company documents. 

Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) operates the main rail line running through La Crescent, Winona, Goodview, and Wabasha. The company is currently seeking approval from federal regulators for a $31 billion deal to acquire Kansas City Southern (KCS). The deal would combine CP’s routes in the northern U.S. and Canada with KCS’ network in the South and Mexico, which the companies said would streamline North American trade.

CP and KCS are also expecting the deal to generate an increase in north-south rail traffic, including along CP’s River Subdivision, which runs from La Crescent to St. Paul, cutting through Winona. In their merger plan, the two companies estimated train traffic in the River Subdivision would increase from the current level of 11.9 trains per day on average to 18.1.

With over a dozen at-grade crossings in Winona, Goodview, and Minnesota City, trains affect vehicular traffic, including emergency vehicles. However, Winona Fire Chief Curt Bittle did not see the proposed increase as a major issue.

“To put that in perspective in terms of response time for us, back during the height of the crude oil shipments from North Dakota, we were up in the mid-20s for train trips,” Bittle said. “So if it’s at 18 … I’m sure there’s going to be some hair raised in terms of daytime traffic and congestion, but from my standpoint, we’ve made some contingencies with the [train warning] lights on Mankato Avenue assisting us.”

The bigger problem for fire trucks and other emergency vehicles is switching yards, Bittle said, referring to trains switching from CP’s main line to spur tracks that service local industrial plants. Trains switching tracks can block the Mankato Avenue crossing for tens of minutes or more, forcing emergency vehicles to go around. However, the CP-KCS merger may not affect rail shipments at local factories utilizing the spur lines. The city of Winona also recently installed a system of warning lights intended to give drivers and emergency responders advance notice of switching trains, helping them avoid the blockage.

Even when the oil boom brought as many as 26 trains a day through Winona, Bittle said, “Those were consistently moving trains and you could live with that.”

The U.S. Surface and Transportation Board is holding a public comment period on the environmental and social effects of the proposed merger now through December 17. More information is available at www.cp-kcsmergereis.com.

Chris@winonapost.com