Trains rolling through Innisfail will continue to blow their whistles.
Innisfail town council decided on Monday not to pursue whistle cessation.
A meeting on June 27 between Canadian Pacific Railway representatives and town council determined the requirements and the costs have not changed since the town considered the option in 2007.
Mayor Jim Romane said it would cost the town $1.07 million to bring the five train crossings up to safety codes, including road work and signage.
“There’s such a load on the taxpayers right now as it is with the growing utilities costs, infrastructure costs and everything else,” said Romane. “It’s just not in the books right now.”
The other part is the safety aspect of not having a train whistle at the town’s five crossings. Council did not want to jeopardize public safety.
Romane said there has been a fatality on the train tracks in Leduc since that community underwent whistle cessation in 2006.
“A young fellow was on the tracks,” said Romane. “The community was very, very upset. It really impacted the community. That’s the last thing I want on my conscience.”
There has been a mixed bag of public response about the train whistles.
“It’s not an unanimous thing in the community,” said Romane. “Until we see a larger impact on the whole scenario . . . at this point in time council does not feel it has enough to react to.”
crhyno@www.reddeeradvocate.com