Changing rail crossings on Regina's Ring Road difficult

It appears there’s no easy solution for slow-moving trains blocking traffic on Regina’s Ring Road.

Several texters to the News Talk Radio’s 306-306 line were angry Monday about a train moving slowly across the Ring Road during the morning commute.
 
Tanner Perkins was one of those caught by the train. Expressing frustration, he said it can at times make him late for work. He wants to see a schedule where the trains don’t operate at peak times.
 
“I wouldn’t say the trains need to be rerouted out of the city, that would be too much of a capital cost to the city and the residents,” he said by telephone.” I would just like to see shorter trains and definitely not during rush hour.”

Canadian Pacific says it has no record of a train being in that location at that time. Canadian National rail is yet to provide us any details.
 
Regina’s mayor doesn’t think the city has many feasible options for improving the rail crossings on Ring Road. While Saskatoon is looking at building six underpasses on Circle Drive to separate traffic from trains – at a cost of $30 million each – Michael Fougere says it’s a difficult project to do.

“It’s a lot of money to do that and it’s federally regulated, so we have no say in the location of those lines,” Fougere told CJME’s Morning Show Tuesday morning.

To make a change, Fougere explained that the city would need to have approval from the federal government, Transport Canada and the rail line.

“To say we could make a change in a few years, (it) might be a bit difficult to do that.”

Fougere said the City of Regina has had difficulties enhancing existing rail crossing due to difficulties communicating with the rail companies.