2 April 2009
CP Rail Adjusts to Red River Flood Conditions
Emerson Manitoba - The risk of flooding along the
Red River has forced Canadian Pacific Railway to reroute shipments, including grain, that normally flow from Canada into North Dakota.
Starting Friday at noon CDT (17:00 GMT), CPR will reroute trains from the Canadian city of Winnipeg west to the province of
Saskatchewan and into North Dakota, said Mike LoVecchio, spokesman for the railway.
The change adds "a large detour" to the four or five trains normally running directly south from Winnipeg, but not
necessarily delays, he said. The railway has notified its customers of the change, allowing them to schedule shipments to arrive on
time, he said.
The change is necessary because the Red River's crest is moving north, LoVecchio said. CPR will remove some track near Emerson,
Manitoba, that the flooding river may threaten.
The only other flood-related problem CPR is facing is high water by a short line at Oslo, North Dakota, which feeds CPR's
operation. The flood impact there is "negligible," LoVecchio said.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe plans to reopen its line between the North Dakota cities of Fargo and Grand Forks Thursday evening. The
90-mile stretch had been closed since 23 Mar 2009, resulting in trains rerouting through western North
Dakota and the state of Wisconsin, said BNSF spokeswoman Suann Lundsberg. Delays were less than 24 hours, shorter than expected, she
said.
The Red River Valley, extending from North Dakota north into the Canadian province of Manitoba, is an important growing region for
spring wheat and sugar beets, although seeding is still weeks away. Grain travels in light volumes by rail in spring.
The Red River crested in Grand Forks, North Dakota, on Wednesday at 49.5 feet and has begun to decline. Permanent dikes 57 feet high
are in place on both sides of the river.
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