Prince Rupert, Canada's west coast port, designed to bypass congested LA-Long Beach harbours and run fast trains direct to the US hinterland, fears its plans may be dashed by US Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, who opposes the railway's Chicago bypass scheme.
This comes after a letter from Senator Obama supporting local opposition from a suburban town near Chicago to the Canadian National Railway's bid to acquire the Elgin Joliet & Eastern Railway that would make it happen.
Failure to purchase the rail operator will damage Prince Rupert's C$170 million (US$172 million), 500,000-TEU port, perhaps sinking forever its C$650-million expansion plan that would quadruple capacity, reports the Toronto Globe and Mail.
Bypassing congested Chicago is key, most agree. It would cut 30 hours off rail runs to the US southeast. "It would add tremendous weight to our gateway," said Prince Rupert port CEO Don Krusel. "If [CN] is successful, it will be 100 hours to Memphis - just as close in time as LA Long Beach, maybe closer."
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