New rail line promises farm service “at cost”

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REGINA, Sask. — A proposed rail line in Saskatchewan and Manitoba could hurt grain haulers in those provinces if it gets the green light.

The provincial government plans to discuss the new line with Prairie Alliance for the Future to see whether the 1,600 kilometre rail line will receive provincial funding. The project cannot go ahead without government support.

The Prairie Alliance plans to use abandoned Canadian National Railway track and provide farmers with a new means to transport their grain at cost.

So far, Saskatchewan Transportation Minister, Mark Wartman, says the organizers haven’t provided a sufficient business plan to convince the department to chip in. However, if they put together a better plan by January, he says the province will consider getting on-board.

“Finally, we just agreed that we had to have our department people and their people who are involved in drafting the business plan sit down and work through what the issues are,” says Wartman. “We have to make sure the information we have is satisfactory and can be used in our decision-making process.”

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