Thank you blue streak 1
Good grief....it's Churchill, not Church Hill. Please edit title.
Nothing says VIA is coming back. Could be Keewatin runs passenger service as the operator. Would not surprise me.
blue streak 1Work to get line ready not in link.
Just speculating, but I suspect the track over the former washouts may be a little rough, and no doubt other areas have settled or heaved during the period of disuse. It might be advisable to run a sperry car or similar to check for any broken rails.
Get the obvious areas resurfaced. Then see if they can hire the use of CN or CP's Track Evaluation train as the most efficient way to find all the spots that need immediate attention for gauge and surface before regular traffic can start. I'm sure it would also identify lots of marginal areas that can be put into service with a severe slow order, to be fixed as time allows, probably next spring and summer.
When it is opened, expect freight only until repairs are completed. While far from ideal, freight can travel at 10mph the whole distance with relief crews resting in suitable accommodation on board. That is not appropriate for a passenger service though. Obviously it would be desirable to have VIA back before the polar bear season next fall; we will just have to wait and see how it all plays out.
Although washout repaired line not ready for prime time yet. Work to get line ready not in link. As for VIA ? ?
https://www.rtands.com/freight/shortline-regional/hudson-bay-rail-update-all-washouts-repaired/
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