As the mayor of Kamloops raised increased train traffic concerns and the need for federal funding for overpass infrastructure at rail crossings with the Prime Minister the President of the Union of B.C. Municipalities says this is a problem up and down the rail lines.

Arjun Singh says increased rail activity can pose a two fold problem.

“I think it definitely is. I think a lot of provincial mayors would echo what Mayor Christian said and we are super happy he had a chance to talk to the Prime Minister. It is an economic issue because if we have stalled traffic then people cannot do business back and forth if they have to go through rail lines. Obviously it is a safety issue.”

He says the safety issue comes from emergency vehicles being stuck on one side of crossing waiting for a train to go by to get to where they are desperately needed.

Singh says it is not just the federal government coughing up money to help build overpasses across at grade crossings, local governments also need to make rail companies part of the conversation.

“Talking to the railway folks. They can break trains and do different things but those things take time. I think to be able to talk and have conversations with the railway companies who are very powerful forces in and of themselves in the country. They have goods to move across the country. We want to work with those folks at a provincial level, at a federal level, and obviously a local level.”

Mayor Ken Christian told the Prime Minister last week the city is seeing an increase of 55 trains a day creating issues at the city’s 25 at grade rail crossings and federal funds are needed to help build overpasses.