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Business rivals, both giant railways operate east-west lines through London that are a source of constant frustration for drivers tied up in traffic as freight trains travel through.

Expanding the CN railway corridor may offer enough room for side-by-side tracks for high-speed trains carrying passengers, and traditional trains moving freight, Soldo said. London is gearing up to start a “protection study” that will look at the land in that corridor, and other properties that might be needed to route high-speed trains into the city.

For now, there’s no solution to the headache posed by trains that criss-cross through the heart of the city and stall traffic on major arteries. Staff met with both rail giants after council directed them last year to try to negotiate merging their operations into one corridor, but the talks haven’t panned out.

The prospect of moving lines is just too expensive, and the CN line is already at capacity, according to city staff.

In an emailed statement to The Free Press, CP said it’s open to discussing relocation of rail lines and its rail yard, but that it’s “a complex and serious issue.”

“An extensive review would need to take place to determine the impact to customer service and the full cost to all stakeholders, which will be significant,” the railway said in its statement.

Coun. Bill Armstrong, who pushed for the city to investigate consolidating the two rail lines, said he’s not giving up.

“We have two unwilling partners. They’re not going to say, ‘Let’s move it over there, we’ll pony up big money,’ ” he said. “But nothing is free. What’s the cost of CP continuing to (run) where they do?”

But another city councillor argues it’s time to stop “stringing people along.”

“The idea that we could consolidate them on one line was pretty far-fetched,” Coun. Jesse Helmer said. “I’ve always believed that was a faint possibility. We have to look at the numbers in terms of the freight that’s on those lines.”

No move for the rail lines means no relief on Richmond Street, where buses are expected to run as part of the northern bus rapid transit route from downtown to Masonville Place. The railway crossing on Richmond, south of Oxford Street, regularly backs up traffic for an average of five minutes. The city has installed a system to track and convey those delays to drivers.

Given that rail consolidation is unlikely, staff recommend grade separations, such as the already-budgeted Adelaide Street underpass, pegged at close to $60 million, to keep trains from snarling traffic.

But the city will still look at options to consolidate, especially as senior governments investigate high-speed rail. Staff also recommend London push for a seat on Ontario’s high-speed rail advisory group.