The mayor of Kamloops says there will be more train traffic crossing the South Thompson River in the downtown as of this spring.

CN Rail will be hauling coal from the East Kootenays to North Vancouver starting in April.

And Ken Christian points out CN’s trains will follow the CP Rail line west all the way to downtown Kamloops, before switching onto CN’s line near 8th Avenue and Lorne Street.

“Coal trains that traditionally went from Dallas, Valleyview, through Kamloops and out through Mission Flats will now go through Dallas, Valleyview, they will shunt across and they will go through the (Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc) lands and out through Brocklehurst.”

Christian says it’s his understanding an extra 10 trains will use that route per day, including five trains full with coal and five empty ones.

CP Rail is currently expanding its mainline between Valleyview and downtown, to make room for CN’s new shipments.

Councillors is hoping to have both rail companies present at council early in the spring about the changes.