End of freight trains in Niagara Falls

Canada’s two national railways, civic and Ontario government officials held a ceremony in Niagara Falls this week to mark the end of freight trains travelling through the city’s downtown and tourist area.

The purpose of the track removal is to help spur redevelopment of prime real estate in the tourism and downtown areas, eliminate traffic congestion and improve road safety, and generate new rail efficiencies at an important international gateway for Canada-United States trade.

The ceremony was made possible by a trackage rights agreement between Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway, and the acquisition of CN’s and CPR’s jointly owned rail corridor through the city’s inner core by the City of Niagara Falls and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLGC), an Ontario government agency.

CPR trains that used the downtown line now take CN’s track to and from the United States via a new connection near Brookfield Road in Welland, Ont. The connection moves CPR trains onto a 12-mile (16-kilometre) section of CN’s Toronto-Buffalo main line to reach CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern and other railroads in Buffalo via Fort Erie, Ont., and CN’s International Bridge.

The city and OLGC have purchased the downtown Niagara Falls rail corridor for $23 million, and will provide the railways with $12 million for track and signal system improvements to accommodate the extra traffic on the new route. Falls Management Co., operator of the permanent casino development, assisted the financing of the
acquisition.

A portion of the downtown line south of the proposed casino development will remain in operation as auxiliary trackage under a running rights agreement between the city and CPR to preserve freight service to local industries.