Rainy River rail crews still having to drive to Fort Frances

Ken Johnston
Editor

Canadian National Railway began changing crews in Rainy River again last week, however it was not quite what the local guys expected.
Crews from Winnipeg to Ranier started stopping in Rainy River and staying at the Roadrunner Motel. To get the trains to Ranier, local engineers have to drive to Fort Frances, bring a train back to Rainy River where they switch trains and take the ones from Winnipeg back to Ranier and then drive home.
The extended runs from Fort Frances to Thunder Bay remained the same as before where trains were boarded in Fort France by mostly engineers from the Rainy River area.
One engineer told the Record that, “The company changed its mind three times in 36 hours last week.” At one point he said the Rainy crews were going to take trains from Rainy River to Atikokan and to Ranier like they used to before the railway ran through Rainy River in 1996.
But that changed several times and may change again before all is said and done.
Rainy River crews have also been concerned about what would happen if they were called to take a train to Winnipeg from Fort Frances and then were called to bring a train back to Ranier. Their cars would be in Fort Frances but they would get off the train in Rainy River.
Some local railroaders feel there will be big changes coming this week and some even feel the crew change in Rainy River will likely be shortlived. In the early going of the proposal to start changing crews in Rainy River again, union members felt it was just a ploy by the CNR to get them to make concessions.
Initially the issue was over making extended runs 12 hours from the current 10 hour maximum. However an arbitrator ruled against that earlier this year.
Crews were running out of time due to delays getting out of Symington Yard in Winnipeg and at the Canadian and United States border at Fort Frances/Ranier.
When called on the matter Monday CNR said they would get back to the Record but never did.