CB&CNS track-work at Antigonish

After two unfortunate derailments over a two-week period this summer, the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway (CB&CNS) was investigated by the province of NS, and found to be in violation of over 100 different safety issues (such as inadequate visibility due to over-grown vegetation, problems with loose bolts, insufficient or old ties, etc.). The gov't of NS has jurisdiction over the line (which is owned by Rail America), and can therefor shut down the line if improvements aren't made. These are also of special interest at the moment because of potential plans for a major container terminal somewhere on Cape Breton. The most logical way to ship these containers inland would be by rail (on the CB&CNS to the Truro interchange with CN), but the line is not up to the standards required for that sort of traffic.

Presumably, there should be quite a bit of track work in the near future. On Friday, I was down by the old VIA station (now heritage museum) in Antigonish, NS, and noticed a large pile of new ties. I presume these are set to go in soon.

Does anyone know any details about what track-work is to be done on the line, and when it will likely be happening? It would be neat to get down and watch some of the activity.

timberley wrote: Does anyone know any details about what track-work is to be done on the line, and when it will likely be happening? It would be neat to get down and watch some of the activity.

Don’t know the extent of the track work that is being done here but yes it’s probably due to the recent derailments......and I’ve also noticed the brush cutting at a lot of the level crossings to increase sight distances.

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The proposed Container Terminal is at Melford......just south of Mulgrave on the mainland side of the Strait of Canso.

If the development here happens, it wouldn’t surprise me if CN doesn’t re-acquire the CB&CNS track as far as the Strait......the same as they bought-back the lines of the Quebec Railway Corp (New Brunswick East Coast, Matapedia & Gulf, Ottawa Central etc.) they had originally sold-off.

The line to Milford would require the rebuilding of a portion of the old CN mainline to Mulgrave from Linwood Jct. This was the line that all trains to Cape Breton once used to reach the rail-car ferry in Mulgrave to be taken across the Strait to Point Tupper (Port Hawkesbury). The ferries were abandoned in the mid 1950s when the new line through Havre Boucher was built and the Canso Causeway opened.

The Container Terminal in Melford is probably going to happen......some big players involved now including CN and Maher Terminals who operate one of the largest container terminals in North America at the Port Of New York/New Jersey. They also operate the Prince Rupert Terminal.

http://www.mahermelford.com/index.cfm

http://www.melford-terminal.com/corporate-partners.php