Noisy trains keep people up, drive away tourists, say Yahk, B.C. residents

People living in Yahk, B.C., say train noise from the Canadian Pacific Railway yard is keeping them up at night and driving away visitors from the tiny Central Kootenay community.

Train noise has only become a problem within the last year, according to Brian Eddy of the Yahk Kingsgate Recreation Society, who told CBC Radio's Daybreak South C.P. Rail is now switching rail cars on trains at all hours of the day and night. 

"They are banging the cars together and they are doing this 24/7," he said. 

Most of the people in the community of under 150 residents are affected by the noise, according to Eddy.

"You can be woken up at 2 o'clock in the morning with cars banging around for a couple of hours."

The noise is hurting the tourism, he said.

"We are in a beautiful spot. People come, intending to stay for a few days to a week and after the first night they are gone because they just can't sleep because of the noise," he said.

Trains blocking roads

Residents are also upset by train cars blocking roads in Yahk for long periods of time, said Eddy, who claimed emergency responders and search and rescue volunteers are sometimes held up by trains.

"Our first responders are in a situation where if they want to get across one of those crossings, they have to phone C.P. and get them to move the train."

This week a few dozen people in Yahk met with representatives of C.P. Rail to voice their concerns. 

Residents walked away from the meeting frustrated, said Eddy.

"We basically got nowhere. They are there to make money and they don't care who they disturb in doing it," he said.

Rail company is working with the community

In a written statement the rail company wrote "C.P.'s goal in attending the meeting was to increase the community's understanding of our operations in Yahk, which are important in serving our customers in the Kootenay area and providing our customers and Canadians with safe and reliable service." 

The company said it will continue to work with the residents of Yahk.