No Deal For CN Rail Line

Written by Peter McIntyre 107.5 KISSFM Tuesday, 03 June 2014 13:01
CN Rail has been unable to reach a deal with private firms to keep the rail line between Coldstream and Kelowna in operation. CN's Senior Manager Public & Government Affairs, Warren Chandler, says discussions with a private party have ended. He says the next step is to offer the 50 kilometre line to the federal government for purchase, and they have 30 days to respond. "Should the federal government not purchase the line, it will then be offered to the provincial government, followed by the municipal government, both will have 30 days to respond," Chandler tells Kiss FM. The rail line has been quiet since last July when the last operator, Kelowna Pacific Railway, went into receivership. A group called the Okanagan Rail Trail Initiative is pushing for government to buy the land, make the corridor public, and use it for a recreation path, with an option for a future transportation system.