RAILWAY PLANNING
Railways are a central part of our modern society, but they can be difficult to operate. Railway companies need help with all aspects from design and construction, right through operation-related issues like environmental planning; and that’s why our Rail Planning Consultants are here to help!
We have extensive experience in environmental protection planning for both private and federally regulated railways. We have successfully completed over 50 transload and 20 siding extension approvals including several Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) level assessments. We have also written several policies and procedures and conducted related training throughout North America.
- Environmental Studies and Assessments pursuant to the CEAA and other jurisdictions
- Corporate risk assessment such as Project Initiator Environmental Reviews (PIER) pursuant to CN Corporate Policy
- Federal approvals associated with the Transportation Act, the Fisheries Act and the Navigable Waters Protection Act among others
- Project Initiators Environmental Reviews (PIER)
- Provincial approvals for Industrial railways pursuant to the Railway (Alberta) Act
- Provincial approvals related to the Alberta Water Act, the Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, among others
- Crown land use leases and agreements in accordance with the Public Lands Act
- Municipal development permits and related studies
- Environmental Management Plans for new construction: hazardous materials, stormwater, wastewater, and emergency response among others
- Environmental Training and Compliance Monitoring
RAILWAY REGULATORY PROJECTS WE'VE DONE
CN Multi-Commodity Transload Facility, Prince Rupert, BC
We were retained by CN Real Estate to provide a Project Initiators Environmental Review (PIER) of the proposed Multi-Commodity Transload Facility in Prince Rupert. The objective was to identify environmental and related regulatory issues that may be encountered during the planning, construction, and operation of the project and to provide recommendations for mitigation and compliance. The PIER is an in-house planning tool to assist CN management in planning and carrying out the project in an environmentally responsible manner.
Altex Energy Oil Transload, Lynton Intermodal Fort McMurray, AB
We were retained by Altex Energy to undertake an environmental assessment and environmental management plan to provide planning criteria for a proposed transload facility at the CN Lynton Intermodal Transload Facility near Fort McMurray. The facility will be used to transfer crude oil (bitumen) from truck to railcar and condensate from railcar to truck on the backhaul using specially designed loading gantries and intermediate on-site storage.
Inter-Chem Sulphur Transload, Conklin, AB
We were retained by Inter-Chem to prepare an environmental assessment of the project and facilitate the acquisition of the required land use zoning and regulatory applications. Barr Siding is located near Conklin, AB, approximately 80 kms southeast of Fort McMurray and 400 kms north of Edmonton on Highway 881. The facility will be used to transfer molten sulphur from truck to railcar for shipment to refineries in Canada and the US.
Belcourt Saxon Coal Project, Tumbler Ridge, BC
We were retained by UMA Engineering to conduct an Environmental Screening of two potential transportation corridors associated with the Belcourt - Saxon Coal Project near Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia.The rail routes are referred to as the Belcourt Saxon/Quinette connection operating south from Tumbler Ridge and the CN Fraser Subdivision connection near Bend. The combined estimated length of the two corridors is 300 miles. The assessment was aimed at identifying environmental and regulatory constraints associated with the proposed alignments to help with alignment routing and configuration.