The mayor of Ashcroft says she doesn’t think plans for inland rail terminals the region will conflict with one another.

Barbara Roden was asked as plans are in the works for a new rail terminal on the Tk’umlups reserve.

Roden says the plan in Ashcroft is well-established and has been in development for about 20 years.

“Certainly the Ashcroft Terminal is ideally situated with both main lines, CN and CP, running through a 300-plus acre site which has a lot of building on it already. And the plans over the next three years are huge for that, and that’s going to be a huge economic driver for the entire region,” Roden says.

She says the next step is a three-year build out worth nearly $30 million dollars, which the feds have provided a $9.2-million–dollar grant to help build.

The terminal was sold last year to Singapore-based PSA International, one of the world’s largest port operators. The company’s COO Kleo Landucci told NL last summer the $28-million-dollar build out planned would bring about 250 jobs to the community.

“And I think that really any inland port in the Interior is a good thing; to relieve congestion in the Lower Mainland, to get some trucks off the highways,” Roden says.

She adds construction of the terminal will hopefully bring young people back to town who have gone off to school.