Wooldridge wants to put a spike into rail relocation project

There’s a lot that George Wooldridge likes about trains.

He believes they have changed history, arguing the Allies would not have won the Second World War without the use of railways in the Soviet Union.

Wooldridge also appreciates them as an efficient mode of transportation and one without cellphone service.

“It’s just you and the world outside your window and what’s outside your window is always amazing on a train,” says Wooldridge, an avid collector of model railroads.

So naturally, the Regina mayoral candidate has much to say about the city’s plans to move the train tracks that cross Ring Road at a cost of $107 million.

Wooldridge opposes the project in favour of building an underpass. He cites that opposition when declaring himself the “most fiscally conservative candidate” on the ballot.

“I think we’ve done it well with Lewvan (Drive). We’ve done it well with even the Ring Road under the CP main line and also the Ross Industrial trackage. So again, let’s just use something that works,” he says.

In August 2019, the city’s executive committee was presented with a feasibility study that recommended relocating the tracks to the K-Lead Spur line in the Ross Industrial Area, saying that was the best solution to traffic jams and headaches for drivers on Ring Road.

The study gave a few reasons. Moving the tracks would result in the least traffic disruption, would move the CP rail line away from existing and future residential neighbourhoods, and would present opportunities for rail connections to future industrial development.

According to the study, building an overpass or underpass — called “grade separation options” — would result in “the longest period of construction along Ring Road and Winnipeg Street consisting of several years of traffic accommodations, reduced speeds and restricted movements when compared with rail relocation options.”

At $106 million, an overpass would cost less than an underpass but the study says it would require tearing down the Winnipeg Street bridge, which the city has already been promised $19.6 million from the provincial and federal governments to replace.

A “significant scope change” would put that money at risk, with the city left on the hook for any funds already spent on the project.

Wooldridge believes the relocation will cost more than people think and says it’s the rail companies that will drive up the cost.

“They’re not just going to ask for, ‘Oh, just give us enough money to move the railway tracks,’ ” he says. “No, they’re going to say, ‘What about our lost time of traffic haulage? What about this?’

“They’re going to make a laundry list and it’s going to be to the detriment of the taxpayers.”

When it comes to city building, Wooldridge dismisses big projects like new recreation centres or a baseball stadium, saying resources are needed to fight addiction and fix streets. He also calls for expanding transit routes and increasing frequency of service.

He is also promising to cut his own salary by 30 per cent if elected, rolling back a raise that was approved by the previous council for the next.

“When it comes to taxpayer money, I think that’s sacred and we should have a mayor who’s going to respond accordingly,” Wooldridge says.

“I don’t think the mayor’s office is a job. I think it’s more like … it should be treated more like a religious calling.”

Wooldridge envisions recreating the Regina of his youth, one where instead of a casino downtown, people could take a train from that old station out of town for a day trip. He reminisces about catching a movie at the Cornwall Centre theatre.

“Let’s get back to the times when Regina felt alive and progressive and I think that’s within our reach and that’s why I love Regina. It’s a city of possibilities,” he says.

“I liked the downtown in the 1980s in Regina. I like the Regina of the 1980s. It’s a beautiful childhood memory for me and we can recapture that energy but put a modern twist on it.”

The municipal election is set for Nov. 9.