Studies into Inglewood railyard noise delayed

Calgary's Mayor Naheed Nenshi wants to meet with the head of CP Rail over the future of a study on noise coming from the company's Alyth yard.

CP has pulled out of the study into the railway yard, which stretches from Blackfoot Trail south to 42nd Avenue S.E.

People living near the facility have been complainingabout yard noisefor more than a year.

Gian-Carlo Carra, the alderman forWard 9, said the noise from diesel locomotivesrevving their engines is as loud as a rock concert.

"They've got so many trains there, they're doing that before they bring them inside the building and it's just washing the community in noise like they've never experienced in 100 years."

"We have to figure out how people and rail yards can live together because I'm not a fan of moving these things way out of the city. I think that it makes sense that they're close in," said Carra.

Nenshi wants nearby residents to be patient.

"Ithink that we're committed to finding a solution on this and I hope thatCP is committed to that solution as well. We've got to make it right for these folks," said Nenshi.

City council is now trying to decide whether to spend $60,000 to complete the study.

Council is holding off on that decision for two weeksuntil it learns whether Nenshi is able to meet with Hunter Harrison, who wasappointed the CEO of CP Rail last June.

Not the only study

Kevin Hrysak of CP says they have done their own noise study and made some changes to how locomotives are serviced.

"In certain tracks we've shifted some of that operation aroundlike we said we've gone through operational changes with our company, with the way our company has been under new management in that regardandthat reduced the number of locomotives that are serviced in that area," he said.

However, Leslie Robertson with the Inglewood Community Association says the noise continuesespecially overnight.

"I guess the best analogy I can think of... is really kind of like having a SWAT helicopter in your backyard generally at [3 a.m.]," she said.

The Inglewood Community Association also asked the Canadian Transportation Agency to investigate a year and a half ago.

Community member Karen Marcus saysshe's not confident about the final decision.

"This is a powerful corporation up against the ordinary people in a neighbourhood and they view us just sort of annoying whiners," she said.

The CTA says the community association and CP have asked for extensions.