Edmonton Alberta - The rail lines may have been removed from Whyte Avenue but don't expect a rush to new development in Old Strathcona anytime soon.
 
A lot of excited talk about redeveloping the strip followed our story yesterday when, without notice, crews tore up the lines much to the surprise of our listeners.
 
Even the local business association was caught off-guard.
 
Murray Davison, Executive Director at Old Strathcona Business Association, said the land could be used to link up both sides of the tracks on Whyte Avenue, and re-energise the community and local business.
 
"To see those tracks removed now gives us an opportunity to redevelop, especially going north where we'd like to see the component still maintained," he said.
 
But as far as development goes, it appears limited to the "none" kind.
 
Salem Woodrow of Canadian Pacific says the railway company is keeping the land.
 
"No decisions on future land use has been made at this time," Woodrow says.
 
"No sense of our operation's changed or anything like that," she says.
 
In the meantime, Woodrow says the tracks are being moved because CP just doesn't use them anymore.
 
"We've done a review of some of our assets and found that these could be utilised in other areas better," she says.
 
The lines were first built in 1907.

Jeremy Lye.