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CN, city think they have a fix for crossing delays during emergencies

First agreement centres on Capreol; more will be signed in future
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Greater Sudbury and CN have worked out the details on how to handle the possibility of trains blocking ambulance or fire vehicles in Capreol in case of a life-threatening emergency.

Greater Sudbury and CN have worked out the details on how to handle the possibility of trains blocking ambulance or fire vehicles in Capreol in case of a life-threatening emergency.

Joseph Nicholls, the city's deputy chief of emergency services, said the protocol will eventually be expanded to other areas, but the initiative began because people in Capreol were concerned about the length of time trains tie up traffic in the community's downtown. 

They met with CN last November, Nicholls said, and they decided creating an early notification process was the best solution.

“We developed an emergency response protocols,” he said. “These are only for life-threatening calls.”

If EMS vehicles have to cross the tracks, they can immediately contact CN in Toronto, who will locate any trains in the area to co-ordinate access for emergency crews. If there's going to be a conflict, CN staff in Capreol will guide the vehicles through the rail yard.

"That's if the delay is going to be excessive,” Nicholls said. “Trains are not so long, so there's always an opportunity to get through the rail yard.

“But if it's not a lights and siren type of call, we'll wait for the train like every other motorist.”

Because CN requires detailed information on each of the many crossings, it will take some time before the protocol is expanded.

“We have to map out every rail crossing,” he said.

The report follows a motion passed last November from Ward 7 Coun. Mike Jakubo that called for a limit of 12 minutes for trains to clear public crossings. 

What prompted the motion was the fact that in Capreol, trains have blocked roads for as long as 30 to 40 minutes. And Capreol residents who attended a town hall hosted by Nickel Belt MP Marc Serré in October raised concerns about the unusually long delays causing public safety concerns at the Young Street rail crossing.

However, imposing limits on the time trains can block roads is beyond municipal authority and is a federal jurisdiction. But CN did agree to the protocol for emergency vehicles.


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Darren MacDonald

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