Canadian Pacific urges the City of Montreal to consider alternatives to at grade pedestrian crossings in the Rosemont, Mile-End communities

MONTREAL, Feb. 28, 2013 /CNW/ - In response to the City of Montreal's press conference on Thursday February 28, 2013 regarding its submission to the Canadian Transportation Agency requesting the installation of six pedestrian level crossings in various locations along CP's property in Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie, Outremont and surrounding boroughs, Canadian Pacific (CP) issued the following statement:

"The safe operation of trains through the communities in which we operate is a priority for Canadian Pacific. Crossing safety is a key aspect of this commitment. CP reviewed this request in great detail with consultation of rail safety experts and has concluded that it cannot approve the construction of at-grade pedestrian crossings in these corridors owing to operational imperatives and public safety concerns.

CP appreciates that the residents may feel inconvenienced, and we have voluntarily extended the offer to work collaboratively with the City on exploring safer solutions for pedestrians including grade separated crossings and improvements in both access and conditions of the existing viaducts. As the City has repeatedly declined the opportunity to explore these alternatives, the matter must now be handled with the assistance of the Canadian Transportation Agency.

CP reviewed the Report issued by the City of Montreal last fall, and notes there is little to no consideration of ensuring the safe operations of current and future freight and commuter rail activity or its importance to the economy of Montreal and the Province of Quebec. While the report includes a recommendation on the preferred locations for the six at-grade crossings based on where most of the illegal trespassing is occurring, there is no analysis exploring grade-separated solutions.

In Canada crossing and trespassing accidents are by far the largest source of railway fatalities and serious injuries. In 2012, those accidents accounted for 154 total fatalities and serious injuries and this doesn't take into account the number of near misses which go unreported each year. There was, in fact, an incident in this Montreal corridor last year resulting in the serious injury of a young female.

CP urges the mayors in these communities to be leaders in safety and actively discourage the reckless trespassing by their residents while this matter continues to be under review."

About Canadian Pacific
Canadian Pacific (TSX:CP)(NYSE:CP) is a transcontinental railway in Canada and the United States with direct links to eight major ports, including Vancouver and Montreal, providing North American customers a competitive rail service with access to key markets in every corner of the globe. CP is a low-cost provider that is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit cpr.ca to see the rail advantages of Canadian Pacific.

SOURCE: Canadian Pacific

Ed Greenberg
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