Locomotive servicing area at Alyth Yard - Date/Photographer unknown.

5 March 2013

Council OK's $30,000 for Next Stage
of Railway Yard Noise Study

Calgary Alberta - The city is staying on track with its noise study at Alyth Yard despite Canadian Pacific Railway pulling out of its funding agreement.
 
City council agreed Monday to fund an extra $30,000 for the noise project's second phase.
 
Noise and activity have long been a concern for Inglewood and Ramsay area residents, who are anxious for data to be collected in winter as well as summer.
 
Inglewood residents say the noise, vibration, and air pollution from the yard have become too much since the railway consolidated locomotive servicing work at Alyth and doubled the size of the operation.
 
The Alyth Yard, located south of Blackfoot Trail to 42nd Avenue S.E., has been operated by CP for more than 100 years.
 
Residents of Inglewood and Ramsay are asking the railway to stop operations at the Alyth Yard during "reasonable hours" on weekday evenings, and on weekends.
 
Although CP had agreed to pay for half the costs of the $150,000 independent noise study, the Canadian Transportation Agency ruled in October in favour of the Inglewood Community Association's rail yard noise and vibration complaint. That prompted CP to temporarily back out of the city's noise study after the first phase to compile its own research.
 
CP has said it's simply following the CTA's orders.
 
Collecting the noise data during winter was a priority for the city.
 
Mayor Naheed Nenshi said there were "a number of inconsistencies in the data," and that the city should continue moving forward with its own study.
 
Nenshi was hoping for a meeting with CP's new boss Hunter Harrison last month, but the two have yet to meet due to scheduling demands, said Nenshi.
 
The first phase of community consultation and case study, and legislation review is complete, and cost $70,000. The second phase is noise and environmental data collection, followed by a risk study.
 
Sherri Zickefoose.

Vancouver Island
British Columbia
Canada