BURRARD INLET
RAIL LINE
In 2018, CN Rail reactivated the long-dormant Burrard Inlet Rail Line that runs directly through Strathcona between the Port and the False Creek Yard. The increase in noise, particularly at night, motivated a group of residents to file a formal complaint with the CTA. Though a mediation agreement was reached, noise issues persist.
In 2018 plans were announced to close at-grade crossings and double the existing track. To date (2023), none of these plans have moved forward.
To contact the SRA Train Working group, e-mail trains@strathcona-residents.org.
RECENT UPDATES
Full Closure of Raymur Ave Rail Crossing
The city plans to close the Raymur Ave. railway crossing to address safety concerns and meet Transport Canada’s new safety standards. The initial deadline to install the safety upgrades was the fall of 2021, but Transport Canada extended the deadline to November 2024. The extension allowed the engineering staff to work with a consultant to…
The Five-Minute Rule
There is no legal limit to the length of time that a train may block a road. However, as of 2014, federal regulations limit the extent to which shunting and idling operations may block roads. The relevant law, referred to colloquially as the “five-minute rule”, is Section 97(2) of the Grade Crossing Regulations (https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2014-275/FullText.html), which…
A PRIMER ON THE BI LINE
The Burrard Inlet Line is a single track that runs from the Port of Vancouver directly through our neighbourhood to the Flats Rail Yard behind Pacific Central Station. Until recently, it was rarely used. In 2018, CN Rail re-activated it so that it could better serve customers shipping containers to and from the Centerm Terminal.…
A Short History of the Burrard Inlet Line
This post focuses on the history of colonial settlement of Vancouver, however we respectfully acknowledge that Vancouver is part of the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, whose settlement of the Strathcona neighbourhood is less well-documented. It is often said that Canada was built around railways and railways…
CN Plans to Mitigate Noise Along the Rail Line
Noise from freight trains on the Burrard Inlet Line (the north-south rail line through Strathcona) can be, at times, disturbingly loud. Northbound trains frequently stop and start. When an engine brakes, the slack between each rail car results in a harsh slam-bang as each car is hits the one in front of it. At Cordova St., the…
Update (Mar.18, 2021)
The twinning of the Burrard Inlet Rail Line has been deferred by CN Rail, possibly to coordinate with the construction of the underpass at Venables. The Centerm Port expansion is on schedule to be completed by 2022 and will likely result in increased rail traffic. The City will be launching a pilot project this Spring…
Cordova Rail Crossing Closure
Aug 2020 Residents of the Strathcona Village building complex on 1000-block E. Hastings Street have been attempting to get the attention of city and CN officials to address the noise-related health effects of the very loud rail crossing signals at Cordova St. and Raymur Street. Due to the interaction between the new “smart” signals and…
Burrard Inlet Line Connectivity Study
Dec 2020 The SRA was recently awarded a grant from CN Rail’s BC Community Board to undertake a connectivity study to better understand how residents are currently crossing the Burrard Inlet rail corridor. The study will look at the “current conditions” of community connectivity, how this may be influenced by additional grade-separation within the next…
RECENT UPDATES
Full Closure of Raymur Ave Rail Crossing
The city plans to close the Raymur Ave. railway crossing to address safety concerns and meet Transport Canada’s new safety standards. The initial deadline to install the safety upgrades was the fall of 2021, but Transport Canada extended the deadline to November 2024. The extension allowed the engineering staff to work with a consultant to…
The Five-Minute Rule
There is no legal limit to the length of time that a train may block a road. However, as of 2014, federal regulations limit the extent to which shunting and idling operations may block roads. The relevant law, referred to colloquially as the “five-minute rule”, is Section 97(2) of the Grade Crossing Regulations (https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2014-275/FullText.html), which…
A PRIMER ON THE BI LINE
The Burrard Inlet Line is a single track that runs from the Port of Vancouver directly through our neighbourhood to the Flats Rail Yard behind Pacific Central Station. Until recently, it was rarely used. In 2018, CN Rail re-activated it so that it could better serve customers shipping containers to and from the Centerm Terminal.…
A Short History of the Burrard Inlet Line
This post focuses on the history of colonial settlement of Vancouver, however we respectfully acknowledge that Vancouver is part of the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, whose settlement of the Strathcona neighbourhood is less well-documented. It is often said that Canada was built around railways and railways…
CN Plans to Mitigate Noise Along the Rail Line
Noise from freight trains on the Burrard Inlet Line (the north-south rail line through Strathcona) can be, at times, disturbingly loud. Northbound trains frequently stop and start. When an engine brakes, the slack between each rail car results in a harsh slam-bang as each car is hits the one in front of it. At Cordova St., the…
Update (Mar.18, 2021)
The twinning of the Burrard Inlet Rail Line has been deferred by CN Rail, possibly to coordinate with the construction of the underpass at Venables. The Centerm Port expansion is on schedule to be completed by 2022 and will likely result in increased rail traffic. The City will be launching a pilot project this Spring…
Cordova Rail Crossing Closure
Aug 2020 Residents of the Strathcona Village building complex on 1000-block E. Hastings Street have been attempting to get the attention of city and CN officials to address the noise-related health effects of the very loud rail crossing signals at Cordova St. and Raymur Street. Due to the interaction between the new “smart” signals and…
Burrard Inlet Line Connectivity Study
Dec 2020 The SRA was recently awarded a grant from CN Rail’s BC Community Board to undertake a connectivity study to better understand how residents are currently crossing the Burrard Inlet rail corridor. The study will look at the “current conditions” of community connectivity, how this may be influenced by additional grade-separation within the next…