Investment should speed railcar clearance at Port Huron, railroad says

PORT HURON, Mich. (April 6, 2000) — Canadian National Railway said it was on track to complete by mid-April a $200,000 project here to speed U.S. Customs clearance of rail freight and lessen delays for motorists.

Designed to make it easier for U.S. Customs to inspect intermodal rail cars, the project will help prevent blocking of crossings near the St. Clair Rail Tunnel when rail cars are switched out for inspection.

The improvements include 1100 feet of new track, a lift machine to quickly remove U.S. Customs selected containers or trailers from the train for inspection, and enhancements to the existing U.S. Customs’ surveillance camera system.

The Port Huron project is part of a $1 million federal funding allocation to improve train movements between the United States and Canada. Both Canadian National and Canadian Pacific endorsed the application.

Funding was obtained under the 1999 Borders and Corridors section of the U.S. Transportation Efficiency Act (TEA-21). CN and CP are providing 20% of the costs associated with these improvements in their respective locations.

Both CN and CP have been working in partnership with U.S. Customs to expedite train movements at the border. As part of that effort, CN alone has spent more than $200,000 to install state-of-the-art crossing detection systems at Michigan, Griswold, Range, and Wadhams Roads in St. Clair County.

A Borders and Corridors TEA-21 application for year 2000 is currently under review at the U.S. Department of Transportation. The application includes a funding request for either an overpass or underpass at Griswold Road in Port Huron.