Espanola council will decide what action it can take to assist Huron Central Railway in continuing operations on the spur line between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie at a special council meeting.
Stakeholders, including Espanola Deputy Mayor, Bill Foster attended a summit last week where community leaders committed to providing letters of support.
The letters are to be included as part of the presentation to the Ontario Minister of Northern Development and Mines, Greg Rickford, at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s annual conference in Ottawa in August.
Council will meet Tuesday morning at 10:00am to discuss their contribution.
Huron Central says they can’t afford upgrades and new requirements, so if no financial support is forthcoming, the line will cease to operate at the end of the year.
Algoma in Sault Ste. Marie, Domtar in Espanola and EACOM Timber Corporation in Nairn would all be affected by closure.
Jordan Allard from the Mayor’s office in the Sault says Huron Central Railway employs 43 people in the city.
He adds if operations were to cease, an additional 40,000 more transports per year are expected on the Trans-Canada Highway, placing a tremendous burden on a stretch of highway that is primarily single lane. More importantly, it is reasonable to conclude there will be an increased risk to passenger car travel, and significantly increased pollution into our environment.
Allard explained that planned capital improvements to the rail line include changing of ties and rails, structural bridge repairs, ballast work and drainage, upgrades to the grade crossings (to comply with new Grade Crossing Regulations before November 28, 2021) and a new mechanical shop in Sault Ste. Marie to improve efficiency.
Huron Central Railway is seeking $46.2 million over a five-year period (including a contribution of $4.62 million from the company) from the Government of Ontario ($18.48 million) and the Government of Canada ($23.1 million) to facilitate the capital improvements.