(The Duluth News Tribune posted the following article by Lee Bloomquist on its website on January 30.)
ORR, Minn. — Services at Calvary Lutheran Church come to a halt each Sunday when the Canadian National Railway runs though town.
“First, you hear the whistle, and then there’s a rumbling for about three to five minutes,” said the Rev. David Solberg. “Sometimes, when the choir sings, the organist keeps playing, but we get off the notes. If I am speaking (giving a sermon), I just shut up until it goes by.”
Freight trains have been rumbling through a narrow corridor in the center of this small Northeastern Minnesota city for about 100 years.
But a move by Canadian National Railway on Dec. 18 to increase the maximum speed of trains traveling on the track from 49 mph to 60 mph has residents worried about the safety of schoolchildren, drivers and nearby buildings.
“It goes through town way too fast,” said Roni Carr, who lives six miles east of Orr. “They used to slow down, but lately, it seems like the speeds have really picked up. They have to be doing 60. You sit there and watch the rails bounce up and down, and you wait for a derailment.”
The federal Rail Administration approved the change after Canadian National spent more than $20 million last year to upgrade about 88 miles of track south from Ranier.
About $13.5 million was spent on new crossing signals on the 88-mile stretch, said Jack Burke, a Canadian National spokesman. New rail and ties were installed.
About 25 to 30 Canadian National trains use the track each day to transport freight containers, lumber and chemicals south from Canada.
“I will confess that we probably made a mistake in not forewarning the town about the increase,” Burke said. “But the railroad is the business. Our intention is to grow the business, and by definition, that means more trains and more cars (longer trains).”
Increased speeds have residents worried about accidents and potential derailments.
The track is about 60 feet west of the church, about 60 feet east of the downtown business district, about 50 feet from the Orr School’s elementary playground and about 300 feet from the school.
“We understand the railroad’s position and the federal government’s position,” said Orr School principal John Metsa. “But we still have a potentially hazardous situation with a train coming within 50 feet of students on a playground. We are just concerned about safety.”
Two years ago, the railroad paid for a wire fence erected between the tracks and the school. But residents say some students climb the fence and walk across the tracks to downtown.
Burke said the railroad tracks have been in the same place for about 100 years.
The school, part of the St. Louis County school system, has been at its site since 1935.
“It’s unfortunate they built the school next to the tracks,” Burke said. “If they think it is a danger, it is unfortunate that they put the school there.”
A petition asking elected officials to prohibit the speed increase for community and school safety has been signed by about 800 people at the Pelican Bay IGA, said Brian Bruns, who helped organize the petition.
Bruns said he would meet next week with Canadian National officials to discuss townspeople’s concerns.
“They are very empathetic with us,” Bruns said. “We want to work together with them to find a solution.”
Solberg, who worries about the safety of his congregation, students and residents, signed the petition.
“The whole thing is kind of scary because the trains haul all kinds of toxics. It doesn’t make any sense to come through at 60 miles per hour.”
The trains primarily transport freight containers, lumber and chemicals from Canadian cities such as Vancouver or Edmonton, Burke said. Some of the chemicals are flammable, explosive or pose inhalation dangers, Burke said.
The lone railroad crossing in downtown Orr — where U.S. Highway 53 connects with Highway 23 and the eastern part of the city — has been the site of several accidents and near-misses.
Federal money paid for warning lights and gates to be installed at the crossing in the mid-1990s.
Some residents want to see the track relocated, probably to the east of the city.
That would cost about$1 million per mile.
“The trains are getting to be longer and more frequent,” Bruns said. “They need a route where they can go 60 miles per hour and not be going through a community. We think there is some federal money available if they want to work with us to get the job done.”
The railroad has been unwilling to negotiate on a potential relocation of the track, said state Rep. David Dill, DFL-Crane Lake, a former Orr city administrator.
“The railroad would derive no benefit from moving,” Burke said.