CN may reopen Rainy River terminal

Ken Johnston
Editor

While the town of Rainy River was abuzz with Railroad Daze activities other railroad news was building steam in Rainy River.
According to local railroaders, Canadian National Railway issued a bulletin last week notifying employees that train crews will begin operating out of Rainy River again in mid-September 2002.
CNR ran-through Rainy River six years ago after nearly 100 years of being a major terminal on the line from Winnipeg to Thunder Bay. The line also connects to the United States DWP line at Fort Frances, Ont. and International Falls, Minnesota.
Extended runs and reduced crews preluded the run-through at Rainy River. Train crews were expected to run the trains for up to ten hours. CNR thought that would be adequate to keep the trains moving, but that has not been the case all the time.
Often customs delays trains in at the Fort Frances border crossing and that means that trains often leave with the crews not being able to complete their trip in the maximum 10 hour allotment. CNR then has had to pick up and drop off new crews via taxi in the middle of nowhere.
The company pushed for the crews to work 12 hour runs earlier this year. However the union opposed it and it went to arbitration where the union won. With that in mind most local rail workers feel the announcement by CNR to reopen the Rainy River Terminal could very well be just a bargaining chip to try and get the union to agree to 12 hour work days. Most workers the Record spoke to over the weekend all said, “I will believe it when I see it!”
The majority of the crews that worked out of Rainy River prior to the run-through, have stayed in here and commute to Fort Frances to work.
Jim Feeny of CNR confirmed Monday that the company is looking at the possibility of switching crews in Rainy River. “We have been doing a review train by train,” said Feeny noting that the option to reopen the Rainy River terminal makes sense in some cases.
As for the bunkhouse in Rainy River, CNR is exploring its options with it at this time. “It is leased to someone else at present, but we are looking at motel room capacities to,” said Feeny.
As for the mid-September time frame, Feeny said that it could even be sooner, depending upon when the review is completed. He said that study would likely be done in the very near future.
Local people have heard rumours about the terminal reopening since the run-through, but never before has CNR put the option on paper.