From: Business Insider
Ernest Scheyder, Reuters
 | |
| A two-mile Canadian Pacific train loaded with oil |
ENDERLIN, N.D. (Reuters) - After her shift at the TraXside Cafe in
the southeast North Dakota hamlet of Enderlin, all Karla Souer wants to
do is go home. Unfortunately for the 38-year-old waitress the commute,
which should only last a minute or two, can take a half-an-hour. That's
because, chances are, there's a Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd <cp.to> train blocking the tracks somewhere on her route.
She has a lot of company. Partly thanks to North Dakota's energy
boom, twenty-eight of the railroad's trains now traverse the city every
day. Each carry hundreds of tank cars filled with oil or grain. Some
idle as long as four hours, inconveniencing motorists, stranding
pedestrians and posing logistical challenges for ambulances and
firefighters.
Desperate for a solution, Enderlin's city councilors last month
banned train breaks longer than 10 minutes. The railroad has, in turn,
sued the city of nearly 900 in federal court. Canadian Pacific contends
the order violates interstate commerce laws. The railroad's lawyers also
asked a judge to grant a temporary injunction.
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