Sand and salt being applied to Richmond’s railway crossings, as well as scheduled maintenance combined to put many commuters in a tizzy throughout January and February, as rail gates malfunctioned along CN Railway’s Shell Road corridor.
CN spokesperson Kate Fenske said malfunctions on Feb. 22 were a result of maintenance work, while a series of rail gates failures that blocked Alderbridge Way and Westminster Highway in late January and early February were a result of snow and ice.
The City of Richmond said the early failures resulted from salt and brine in the metal tracks sending false signals to the gate control.
Similar issues were reported throughout the Lower Mainland, said spokesperson Ted Townsend.
Fenske said the gates operated as designed, as they will come down as a fail-safe measure, when minor issues are detected.
The problems upset rush hour commutes who were already delayed by inclement weather. Furthermore, communications between CN and the city, as well as the media, were not expedient.
“CN has been in touch with the City of Richmond to discuss their concerns,” said Fenske.
Townsend said if the issue happens again, commuters should call CN Rail’s maintenance line, at 1-800-863-4883.
