More Monday morning rail news:
— Canadian National has withdrawn an application to expand yard facilities in East Chicago, Ind., to handle carloads of petroleum coke from BP’s Whiting, Ind., refinery, the Times of Northwest Indiana reports. The application by CN’s U.S. subsidiary Wisconsin Central Ltd. would have allowed the railroad to fill in wetlands to add tracks to handle the refinery byproduct. The company now says BP “has identified a more efficient transportation for movement of commodities.” Environmental and neighborhood groups had objected to the possible storage of the material in the area.
— The San Bernardino County (Calif.) Transportation Authority may fund a $3 million study of possible passenger rail service to Ontario International Airport, following a 10-0 vote by the authority’s Transit Committee supporting the study. The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reports that the study would consider three all-rail options, including a dedicated rail line from a nearby Metrolink station, expansion of Metrolink service, and extension of the LA Metro light rail Gold Line, and identified a preferred option.
— British Columbia’s provincial government has promised commuter rail service is coming to the Fraser Valley east of Vancouver, but has offered few details. The Abbotsford Progress reports last week’s Throne Speech, marking the opening of a new legislative session, included commuter rail to Abbotsford, B.C., and other communities as one of its goals; Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun will meet with the chief of staff to provincial Premier John Horgan to discuss specifics.
