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 nighttime shunting, motivated a group of residents to file a formal complaint with the CTA which was eventually resolved through mediation.

In 2018 plans were announced to add a second track. As part of this project, City Council voted to ignore the recommendation of the False Creek Flats Arterial Community Panel and build an underpass where the track crosses Prior. All other at-grade road crossings are expected to be closed to all traffic.

To contact the SRA Train Working group, e-mail trains@strathcona-residents.org.

RECENT UPDATES

A Short History of the Burrard Inlet Line

September 24, 2021

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…

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CN Plans to Mitigate Noise Along the Rail Line

July 1, 2021

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…

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Update (Mar.18, 2021)

March 20, 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…

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Cordova Rail Crossing Closure

February 25, 2021

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…

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Burrard Inlet Line Connectivity Study

February 25, 2021

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…

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