$534 million. That’s a whopping 38% increase in profit that CN Rail has posted – just for the 2nd quarter of 2010.
CP Rail’s 2nd quarter earnings totaled $166.6 million, up a full 23% over the same quarter of last year.
So, CN and CP, here’s a suggestion of what to do with a relatively small portion of that profit: upgrade your entire fleet of diesel locomotives to include year-round idle reduction technology.
Yes, we realize you are buying lots of new locomotives, complete with all the bells and whistles, (literally) but let’s talk about all the soot-covered ones that don’t appear in your PR material without any such idle reduction features in place…these must surely be part of what http://www.proximityissues.ca/, refers to on its FAQ’s page that “locomotives idle approximately 50% of the time that they are running”.
Since our blog was launched, we have had many comments and emails from people telling us about how railway companies and their actions have impacted the quality of their lives, their health, and their communities. We want to encourage people to share their stories. Vent if necessary (we know it is hard to get corporations to listen to the impact of their actions on human beings). But please, we do ask that you refrain from any profanity. Thanks!
Railroaded. That’s the term that John Kristensen of Strathcona County, Alberta, a former Alberta Assistant Deputy Minister of Parks, uses to describe how he felt finding out that CN Rail, Imperial Oil, and Cando Contracting planned to build a rail yard near his home – without any prior notice, consultation, or consideration of the sensitive nature of the environment he and his family have actively sought to conserve.
The Kristensen’s presence on the land dates back five generations, and the family has long appreciated and respected the great natural beauty of their surroundings, including sensitive habitat for a myriad of wild bird species.
So, the Kristensen’s made a very generous gesture in 1989. They entered into an agreement to preserve the 100 acre area around Bretona Pond as a private conservation area.
Yet, if CN, Imperial Oil, and Cando Contracting get their way, a rail yard with up to 225 oil tankers will soon be wedged in between two designated conservation areas, including the Kristensen’s, on which naturalists have counted a current total of 182 bird species.
The Kristensen’ story is a disturbing one, and one that should serve as a wake up call for all communities around the Edmonton area.
The Hamlet of Mirror – a small community nestled deep in the Alberta heartlands.
However, the calm and tranquility of rural life has abruptly ended in a nightmare for a number of residents when CN Rail decided to move employee bunkhouses adjacent to their backyards.
With the bunkhouses came an unanticipated and very unpleasant surprise.
Within a short period of time, the area in around their homes became a location in which numbers of locomotives were left idling, subjecting residents to noise, vibration, and fumes, often for hours on end, making it impossible to enjoy any reasonable quality of life.
We’ve added “Community Groups” to the links section on our Home Page. We hope to grow this list over time and connect up the list of communities that are experiencing rail noise and vibration problems.
Rail and Reason 