Concerns over roads being blocked off by trains sitting on the tracks has sparked some discussion by Kamloops representatives.

Earlier this month a property owner in Heffley raised concerns about trains constantly sitting on the tracks. CAO David Trawin says despite receiving some complaints on the issue, there isn’t a lot that can be done by the city at this time. All it can really do is have continued dialogue with rail companies as the city doesn’t have a ton of options to resolve these issues. “The Mayor has had conversations with CP… but under the regulations, a train is allowed to sit stopped at an intersection for up to five minutes.”

Trawin says other factors at play include trains getting longer which could also be lengthening those wait times. “Another issue is some of the trains are getting longer than they used to. So that may mean the access is being blocked for 10 or 15 minutes. Under the Transportation Canada Act and Railway Act, that’s perfectly legal. So we are seeing some areas where the access is being blocked longer than normal. We are trying to work with that and work through that.”