The president of the North Thompson Rail Terminal hopes work will start this year on a new railyard in Kamloops.

Speaking on the Woodford Show, Corey Bitz says the project would be built in three phases which would take 5 to 10 years, and the first phase would cost $10 million.

Bitz says there are immediate opportunities to move resources like lumber, diesel or gas.

“These type of products that are coming by truck mostly into the Interior which would be much more efficient if they were coming by rail, and then moved from truck from central location like Kamloops to all the outlying areas within a couple hundred miles.”

Bitz says he doesn’t foresee issues with rail capacity.

“Anything going to the port from here it’s short, and would actually reduce some of the trucking issues in Vancouver and on the highways. And anything that’s going domestic, this is the CN’s main line, this will move any traffic that’s domestic, this is the fastest way out.”

The project, which would take up 27 hectares on Kootenay Way in the Tk’emlups reserve, would see 41 new rail tracks connect to the CN Rail line.

Due to its size it first needs approval from the Canadian Environment Assessment Agency.