Regina Saskatchewan - Another chapter in a decades long story begins now that the city has hired a consultant to develop a preliminary design to relocate the rail lines crossing Ring Road.
 
"The relocation solution the City is potentially pursuing would address traffic delays and move trains away from residential areas to the northeast industrial area," Deborah Bryden, executive director of city planning and community development, said in a news release issued Monday morning.
 
"Rail is vital to the movement of goods and will be necessary to service proposed new developments including canola crushing plants and other economic opportunities around our city."
 
Stantec Consulting Ltd. will "further investigate" the "solution concept" identified in a feasibility study completed in 2019, that looked at options, costs, and benefits for addressing drivers' frustrations in the area.
 
The scope of the preliminary design will include engineering investigation and design, railway operational plans, public and stakeholder engagement, and cost estimates.
 
Updates and public engagement opportunities will be announced in the coming months, the release said, and a recommendation report is expected to come before council some time next year for approval.
 
"Stantec is proud to be selected by the City of Regina for this important project, which will have a direct impact on the efficiency of our transportation system. We have been providing consulting services with the City of Regina since 1983, and we look forward to engaging with our community," Josh Richer, principal at Stantec said in the release.
 
In August, city council approved the start of a public procurement process to find a consultant.
 
At the time, a report going before council noted that both CN and CP would need to accept any relocation plans.
 
It was the next step in the city's attempts to address traffic delays and commuter frustration due to trains crossing Ring Road.
 
The feasibility study that began in 2018 first looked at the possibility of building an overpass where the CP and CN railways intersect with Ring Road.
 
The study also gave an estimated overall cost for the project of $107 million.
 
But when the report came back to council in 2019, it stated the most cost effective way of easing drivers' frustrations would be to relocate the tracks instead.
 
Several months later, council approved $2 million over two years to work on a preliminary design for the railroad's relocation, a project that was delayed because of the pandemic.
 
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