The Federal Court cancels the green light given by Ottawa to a vast CN project for a rail and road hub in the greater Toronto area.
The court concludes that the federal government failed to determine whether this installation planned by the Canadian National Railway Company (Canadian National, CN) in Milton would have harmful effects on human health, in particular due to its impact on air quality in this region.
The Federal Court’s decision therefore rescinds the approval given by cabinet in January 2021 and sends the $250 million project back to Ottawa for reconsideration.
In the planning stage for years, the project would allow CN to double its existing line and build, in the Halton region, a hub for the transshipment of containers between rail cars and trucks.
The ruling indicates that this intersection would be used 24 hours a day by diesel trucks making 800 round trips per day, as well as by four trains pulled by locomotives also running on diesel — a fuel that contains toxic pollutants.
CN says it is still reviewing the decision, but argues the rail and highway hub would be a critical piece of infrastructure in Canada’s busiest region.
To watch on video