Listening to the nonstop growl of a running locomotive wasn't how Cam Fazakas wanted to end the work week.Fazakas owns a John Deere dealership in Olds on 50 Avenue north of Highway 27 right beside the rail tracks. He noticed a CP Rail train idling on a siding near his business for more than 24 hours – from the morning of June 27 until noon on June 28.“It's just been constant rumble,” Fazakas said. “It wasn't revving. It was idling. It's as loud as when the train cars go by if you were standing beside the train.”In addition to the noise, Fazakas said he was concerned about the diesel fumes being emitted while the train sat parked.Idling trains have been a recent problem and one that affects more than those who live adjacent to the railway tracks, according to Olds mayor Judy Dahl.“Not only on the rail tracks but the town as a whole. I can hear them idling from my house too and I live on Shannon Drive, right beside the hospital,” she said.In the 30 years she's lived in town, Dahl said the issue has only come up over the last six months during conversations with residents.She said the problem arose after sidings were installed along the rail line about two years ago.“They had to build them in so they would be able to hook up to longer loads or heavier loads,” Dahl said. “And because the (engines) are diesel-running engines, it's better to leave them running than to turn them off.”Craig Squires is a superintendent for CP Rail and said trains must idle to keep running.“It's a fuel conservation system. They have to run constantly or they'll freeze up and the block will freeze,” Squires said.However, he added that trains are equipped with technology that will shut the engines down once the optimal temperature has been reached.“In the summer you'll find that locomotives don't idle as long. What they do is they reach that temperature just like your car but then they'll shut down automatically,” he said. “And then once that ambient temperature inside the locomotive … drops, then the unit will start up, raise that level again and will shut itself off.”The Town of Olds has been aware of one other incident in March where residents complained of at least two trains that were parked and left running for more than 44 hours on the siding near Fazakas' dealership.On April 1, the mayor's office wrote a letter outlining the town's concerns to federal Transport Minister Lisa Raitt, copied to Wild Rose MP Blake Richards.“The activities of CP Rail on March 26, created a nuisance that disturbed the residence (sic) of Olds community. The excessive idling of the locomotives created a nuisance noise and the emission of diesel fumes negatively affected the quality of air for residents and citizens adjacent to the rail siding. This standard is unacceptable,” the letter read.“We encourage the Minister to restrict the duration in which rail companies are allowed to leave locomotives idling within the boundaries of a municipality. Also it is not clear if CP Rail is required to conform to local bylaws. Please provide clarification regarding this matter.”Richards replied on April 15, writing that he appreciated being made aware of the town's concerns.Railways fall under federal law and it's unclear if the town has jurisdiction to enforce bylaws for matters such as keeping premises tidy, said town chief administrative officer Norm McInnis.“The grey area is, what obligation do they have to our local bylaws,” he said. “Do they just fall under federal rules or do they have to adhere to local rules?”Despite the ambiguity, Squires said CP Rail works with municipalities to avoid inconveniencing residents.In Olds' case, he said trains are parked closer to the grain elevator south of town, away from residential areas.“We work with communities that we run through in order to make sure that we're doing everything we can,” Squires said.Dahl said CP Rail and municipalities need to communicate better, adding council has made invitations for the company to attend its meetings.“If you don't have public communication with them, we will never understand the problem until we know what the problem is,” Dahl said.Squires said he hasn't received any requests to visit council but he's receptive to the idea.“If the Town of Olds wants to invite me down, I'd be more than happy to come.”[email protected]
