While most support relocating city’s rail lines, many doubt it will happen

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This article was published 01/01/2016 (3835 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Most Manitobans like the idea of moving rail lines out of Winnipeg, but many remain skeptical relocation will occur, a poll conducted on behalf of the Free Press suggests.

A Probe Research telephone survey of 1,000 adults across the province in early December suggests 59 per cent of Manitobans support the idea of moving rail lines out of the city, as the Selinger government proposed late last year.

The poll suggests 23 per cent of Manitobans oppose the idea, while 18 per cent are unsure.

The poll also suggests 48 per cent of Manitobans do not believe rail relocation is likely, compared to 41 per cent who believe it is likely and 10 per cent who are unsure.

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“The public kind of wants this, even if they think it’s not going to happen,” Probe Research president Scott MacKay said in an interview.

“They’ve heard this before, in that it’s an issue that emerges every couple of years. Maybe the most recent round of discussion has been more formal, in that the governing party says they want to do this,” continued MacKay, qualifying his statement by noting the NDP placed third in the most recent Probe poll of voter preferences.

“The NDP could almost promise anything. When you’re that far behind, you become like a third party or a fringe party: you can say whatever you want, because your chance of being elected is minimal.”

The Probe poll suggests support for rail relocation is strong both within Winnipeg and outside city limits, though support is stronger inside the Perimeter. Support is strong among supporters of all three major political parties, though markedly weaker among voters who prefer the Progressive Conservatives.

Tory supporters are also more skeptical of the prospects for rail relocation, compared to their NDP and Liberal counterparts, the poll suggests. As well, younger Manitobans are more optimistic than older ones are about the prospects for moving rail lines out of the city.

MacKay said the strong support for rail relocation could provide policy direction to Manitoba’s next government. The large percentage of respondents who are unsure whether to support the idea is also significant, he said.

“Sometimes, the smart group is unsure. They’re saying they aren’t going to offer an opinion until they know the costs,” he said.

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Though many policy experts believe rail relocation will provide Winnipeg with long-term benefits that include neighbourhood revitalization and a reduced infrastructure-maintenance burden, the short-term and medium-term costs are unknown. One proponent has placed the tab in excess of $1.5 billion.

After being presented with the Probe survey results, Canada’s two largest railway companies remained cool to the idea of moving rail lines out of Winnipeg, noting both the cost and difficulty.

CN Rail reiterated it will participate in a provincial rail-relocation study even though it believes the project “will be both extremely complex and costly,” stated Kate Fenske, the railway’s Winnipeg-based media and community relations manager for Western Canada.

Canadian Pacific Railway is still considering whether it will participate in the Manitoba study.

“Relocation of rail yards is a complex and serious issue, which would involve CP, local and national customers, regulators, local community organizations and all levels of government,” stated Salem Woodrow, a CP spokesman in Calgary.

“An extensive review would need to take place to determine the impact to customer service and the full cost to all stakeholders, which will be significant.”

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca