Saskatoon Saskatchewan - Saskatoon is still waiting to learn whether a proposal to relocate a major rail line slicing through the city will ever leave the station.
 
City hall asked Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. (CP) and Canadian National Railway Co. (CN) for "formal support" to continue work on a plan for both railways to share CN's corridor south of the city in September 2019.
 
Neither railway giant has provided a formal response.
 
However, Saskatoon's director of transportation said he expects replies from CP and CN, and noted the size and complexity of the project, as well as the pandemic, could explain the delay.
 
"I like to think that if it was a clear-cut, No, we're not interested, we would have been told that prior to this. I'd like to suggest that there is a benefit for everybody. I like to think there's a benefit for everybody. I think that's why we haven't heard a clear, Not interested," Jay Magus said Friday.
 
In an email, CN spokesman Jonathan Abecassis said the railway is "always open and available to discuss our operations with cities, including potential solutions and their impacts."
 
CP directed the Saskatoon StarPhoenix to its website, which notes the railway "may" participate if a community wants to study rail relocation.
 
The website notes such a project would involve CP, customers, communities, and governments.
 
"An extensive review would need to take place to determine the impact to customer service and the full cost to all stakeholders, which will be significant."
 
Neither response specifically addressed Saskatoon's request.
 
Rail relocation has long been considered a likely unrealistic solution to delays caused by level crossings on CP's line, as well as the possibility of a derailment or other incident.
 
A report headed to council's transportation committee next week notes that train length and frequency is increasing, leading to more delays and "an increased risk of accidents."
 
The shared corridor proposal emerged from a study launched several years ago, which identified two options, relocating CP's line, or building up to nine overpasses and underpasses.
 
The consultant, HDR Corp., found both, estimated to cost $589 million and $374 million respectively, were not viable "from a pure monetary point of view."
 
However, the consultant noted there are other factors such as emergency response times, access, and neighbourhood cohesiveness that are difficult to quantify.
 
City administrators later backed relocation, a position endorsed by city council early in 2018, even though the estimated cost made it not especially attractive.
 
A total of $465,000 has been spent on the proposal to date, the report notes.
 
Magus said the next step is establishing a business plan with CN, CP, and possibly the Rural Municipality of Corman Park.
 
If the project were to go ahead, it would require years to complete as well as funding from other levels of government and political support, he noted.
 
In the meantime, trains continue to rumble through the city.
 
City hall has installed some "mitigation" measures, such as flashing signs and signals that let the fire department know if level crossing arms are down.
 
"To be frank, if we can't move the lines, there's not a lot more we can do about that," Magus said.
 
Alex MacPherson.