Silence of train tracks reflects sluggish economy
Posted May 28, 2009 By Stacey Roy
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Tweet ThisEMC Business - In the early 1900s the chugging of trains on a track meant the growth of an industrial economy, so it stands to reason that the recent absence of trains in Carleton Place particularly is a signal of the continuing economic downturn.
"What you're seeing is a reflection of the current economy. Traffic is down," said Mike Lovecchio, spokesperson for the Canadian Pacific Railway.
In the last year the successful freight company has seen a 19 per cent reduction in traffic on their rails, which forced them to tighten their belts and pull their trains from the Ottawa Valley Railway (OVR) onto their own lines. This decision has meant the loss of 30 jobs within the OVR as the CPR trains represented 85 per cent of their business, according to a previous interview with an OVR spokesperson. Lovecchio couldn't say if this decision was a short or long term move by the company, but did note that CPR responds to customer demand and right now the lack of demand has provided excess capacity on their own track lines.
"At this point they're (clients) really providing us very little guidance because they themselves don't know," Lovecchio said.
The silence of the train tracks that has swept over the Town of Carleton Place for the last two weeks isn't all doom and gloom. In fact, some residents who live near the tracks are celebrating their new found peace of mind.
"We never got used to it," said Doc Ballard who has lived near the tracks in Carleton Place for 20 years. He said the whistles and running of trains at all hours of the day was not as disruptive as the persistent hum of a train engine that he and his neighbours were forced to listen to day and night at one time.
"One train stayed back there for two days (running)," Ballard said.
The local man is sorry to see this change impact the employment of so many people, but is marveling in the serenity of his own backyard - a place long made uninviting by the presence of the trains.
Residents in Perth and Smiths Falls haven't been able to share in Carleton Place's silence. The trains continue to pull into their communities with some regularity, particularly the VIA Rail trains which are on their way to Ottawa and Toronto. These lines to Ottawa, which Carleton Place pulled out some years ago, may be the next growth opportunity for train traffic should commuter rail get introduced to the region.
"We find it's still busy," said Jenny Ross owner of Nevis Estates Bed and Breakfast in Perth. "As we speak the dingers are going now and the trains are coming."
Terry Lee, manager of Lee Tavern that is situated across from the Smiths Falls railway station said the only way he knows the trains aren't moving any more is because some of his regular customers were OVR employees.
"It's still busy over there," Lee added of the lack of CPR trains. "Whether it gets more pronounced over the next six months I don't know."
