Kamloops British Columbia - CP has been allowed to sit at Kamloops train crossings longer during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the corporation says that has helped it keep work places safe.
 
Speaking to city council today, government affairs director Mike LoVecchio says he went to the mayor of Kamloops and city staff in the early days of the pandemic, "asking that there be some understanding that part of disinfecting our work space means disinfecting our locomotives, and as a result of that our trains may be blocking the crossings for more than our five-minute rule. That permission was turned around very quickly, and it has resulted in us having a safer work environment for our crews on board the trains. And I want to express our thanks for that understanding," he says.
 
Transport Canada (TC) rules mandate that a train cannot be sitting at a rail crossing for more than five minutes when vehicle traffic is present.
 
LoVecchio says rail cars are still able to move in shorter amounts of time if emergency vehicles need to get by, which is also a necessity in rules from TC.
 
Colton Davies.