Sask. shortline railways say provincial funding appreciated but not enough

WATCH: The Saskatchewan NDP is calling for more short line railway funding from the province. Wayne Mantyka has the details.

The Saskatchewan NDP is calling for more shortline railway funding from the province as currently 13 small railway companies share $1 million annually.

NDP leader Carla Beck brought small railways’ concerns to the forefront on Thursday. Shortline railways maintain service on lines abandoned by major railroads.

“We’ve been talking about the need to build rail lines and pipelines and powerlines, but that rail line has to include investing in shortline infrastructure,” Beck said.

There are 13 shortline railways operating in Saskatchewan and some say they are only marginally profitable even with the provincial funding.

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“We’re the first mile and the last mile, so our job is to put producer car and agriculture products like fertilizer, give them a spot where they can load and unload and get that product to a market without having to go to your Viterra or your P&H or your big companies,” Glenn Pohl, from Xpert Rail Consulting said.

Shortline railroads say they are also keeping heavy truck traffic off roads and provide grain producers with more options.

“It takes the burden off the highways that we are feeling out there,” Pohl said. “It’s two and a half truckloads per railcar and when you look at a railcar going down the track you see lots of them.”

Shortline railways in Saskatchewan say they appreciate the $1 million they receive annually from the province but would like to see the amount at least doubled. Even then, many feel it would only be enough to rebuild about one mile of Saskatchewan shortline railway.