Railways embark on EA for double stack tunnel

WINDSOR, Ont. — The co-owners of the Windsor-Detroit rail tunnel issued a pre-bid notice to conduct an environmental assessment for a proposal to build a second, adjacent tunnel.

According to the Windsor Star, the move means Borealis Infrastructure and CP Rail are a step closer to adding the $400-million tunnel to handle larger, double-stacked railway cars.

Proponents say the current tunnel isn’t big enough. In fact, the railways have run into trouble in the past when stacking containers too high.

CP and Borealis continue to lobby governments on both sides of the border for funding to support construction costs.

The EA process would take up to two years.

While CP retains the right to operate and maintain the tunnel, it sold most of its half to Borealis — from 50 percent to 17 percent.