The CN hub in Milton opens next year. Was fighting it worth it?

CN first proposed an intermodal terminal on its Milton land in 2015: a place where containers come off trains and onto trucks, on about 400 acres east of Tremaine Road and south of Britannia, beside what was then the fastest-growing town in the country.

Halton Region, the town and a citizens’ group fought it through a federal review, a cabinet decision and the courts. They lost. The federal approval carries more than 300 conditions on air, noise, light, water, health and emergency planning, which is either a victory or a consolation depending on who you ask. Construction is under way, the employee entrance off Tremaine and the administration buildings first, and CN says operations begin in 2027, around the clock, with up to 1,600 truck trips a day.

The town got a rail yard and a rulebook. The question is whether the years and the legal bills bought the rulebook, or just delayed the yard.

Sources: Halton Region, the CN Milton Logistics Hub project · MiltonToday, when the hub begins operations · Town of Milton, the CN logistics hub · Progressive Railroading, CN committed despite the court ruling