America Weighs In on the Future of Prince Rupert Super-Port

(Vancouver Sun – Miro Cernetig)

The dreamers behind Canada’s Pacific Gateway, a 21st-century version of the St. Lawrence Seaway now taking shape on the West Coast, got a bit of a scare a few days ago.

Barack Obama, the man who might very well be the next man to occupy the White House, seemed to be trying to kill the dream of transforming Prince Rupert into a truly global port. Obama is speaking out against a $300-million deal designed to extend the Port of Prince Rupert’s reach deep into the U.S. industrial heartland.

The Illinois Senator is throwing his weight behind a small village outside of Chicago that doesn’t want Canadian National Railway Co. to buy up the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway. The intent is to avoid the bottleneck of Chicago by going through Barrington Village, and get the trains to Memphis, Tenn., cutting 17 hours of travel time. But that would dramatically expand train traffic through the area.

Obama, known for both his protectionist sentiment and grassroots politicking in Chicago, had this to say about the project: “Cities and towns ... along the EJ&E line must be assured their commerce and their safety are not imperilled by slow-moving trains that could be as much as two miles in length.”

Other members of Congress are weighing in with their opposition as well, hoping to derail the $300-million deal, which is now before the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. The crux of their argument is that the 198-mile railway includes 130 crossings and creates a safety hazard, and will alter the nature of the community.

With trains as long as two miles in length constantly trundling through Chicago suburbs, it’s also expected that billions of dollars will need to be spent on new infrastructure, such as underpasses and bridges. Senator Obama and others want CN to foot the bill.

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