PHOTO CAPTION.

21 December 2011

Major Rail Loading Station for Tilley

Tilley Alberta - A new business in the Village of Tilley has started a ripple effect of economic spinoffs within the community.
 
Tilley mayor John Timko confirmed that over the past four months CP Rail has been working with the village to establish the Tilley Transload Facility along First Avenue East.
 
"I'm pretty excited," he said.
 
The trans-loading site is in the same general area as the Sound Source Services trans-loading site which closed about three years ago.
 
The new business will see the movement of oil from B-train trucks to CP rail cars along a newly built apron which is 12 metres x 357 metres or the length of 20 rail cars.
 
Timko added that the project will be for the off-loading of oil from up to 40 B-trains per day.
 
He said the village was chosen because of the siding, a spur line, the transportation route, and it's a good location for hauling oil.
 
"The main line of the railway is not in a very heavily congested area, and there is easy access with the trucks," he said.
 
The company is not allowed to haul full trucks of crude oil through the village.
 
"There's a secondary highway off the Trans-Canada they will be coming in on," he said.
 
Highway 876 between Tilley and Patricia on the north side of the Trans-Canada is one of the access roads.
 
It is one stretch of road that the county has been asking the province to pave.
 
"It might have an effect to get that done," he said.
 
Timko anticipates that the business will result in some community growth from new jobs.
 
"The overall picture, lots of activity brings lots of people. With lots of people comes interaction with businesses in town. I look forward to seeing all kinds of traffic going with that. This is the preliminary start," he said.
 
CP currently runs more than 100 trans-loading facilities in Canada and the United States.
 
CP Rail spokesman Ed Greenberg said he can't confirm the project.
 
"I'm not able to provide details of what is taking place," he said.
 
Though CP is not confirming the project, Timko said company representatives have met with the Tilley Fire Department.
 
"They had their first sit down to evaluate and make sure safety and emergency services are on hand if needed," he said.
 
Timko added that if all goes well there will be an expansion on the existing site to enable the loading of other commodities besides oil.
 
"We're not sure what that is yet," he said.
 
Sandra M. Stanway.
 
Editor's Note: Article abridged.