Canadian Pacific's Alyth Yard - Date/Photographer unknown

12 April 2012

Inglewood Residents Hope to Quiet Busy Rail Yard

Calgary Alberta - Calgary neighbours who say they are fed up living beside noisy and busy train tracks in the city's southeast are hoping their voices will be heard.
 
Residents say they want Canadian Pacific Railway, to stop operations at its Alyth Yard during "reasonable hours" on weekday evenings and weekends.
 
A town hall meeting planned in Inglewood Tuesday is the first step in a mitigation study monitoring environmental impacts of industrial operations at Alyth Yard.
 
The study, which is jointly-funded by the city and CP, began in March.
 
Alyth Yard, located along 15A Street, from Blackfoot Trail south to 42nd Avenue S.E., has been operated by CP for over 100 years.
 
But neighbouring residents are now saying the noise, vibration, and air pollution are too much since the railway consolidated locomotive servicing work at the location, doubling the size of the operation, they say.
 
"We need to co-exist with the rail yard, so this is all about both sides being good neighbours with each other," said Guido Van Rosendaal, who lives in Inglewood.
 
The public's input at the Tuesday meeting is the first step. Environmental monitoring follows.
 
A final report is expected by October.
 
CP says it has long been working with the city and residents over concerns, and will continue to do so.
 
"The type of work being carried out at Alyth has not changed. Its role, as it always has been, is to perform locomotive maintenance. So, the nature of the work being done in the Alyth shop has not changed," said spokesman Ed Greenberg.
 
He says the number of locomotives coming to the area has increased, and the railway company agreed to work with the residents of Inglewood and the city.
 
"In fact, in recognizing concerns expressed by area residents, CP has taken several operational steps to respond to the feedback, including altering how and where we service locomotives," said Greenberg.
 
"There are no easy solutions and is a complex issue because we are talking about a residential area situated right up against an industrial area that has been there for many years, since the early days of Calgary, if you are talking about our rail yard."
 
The city approved a mitigation study last year, at the request of Ald. Gian-Carlo Carra. Although CP Rail doesn't seek city approval to expand operation because it falls under federal jurisdiction, it is helping to fund the study.
 
The city's community planning department hired consultants for environmental monitoring at Alyth Yard and the surrounding area.
 
Residents of Inglewood and Ramsay and the escarpment communities of Albert Park, Southview, and West Dover are hoping for a strong turnout at the meeting.
 
"Lots of volunteer hours and effort have been put in thus far and it's important to be at this stage with all the stakeholders coming together," said Inglewood resident L.J. Robertson.
 
The town hall will let residents from the inner-city communities that are directly affected air concerns about the issues of noise, pollution, and vibrations coming from the rail yards.
 
The meeting Tuesday, 17 Apr 2012 is at 7 p.m. at the Inglewood Community Hall (1740 24th Ave S.E.).
 
Sherri Zickefoose.