Bettendorf council OKs pact with CP to mitigate increased train traffic

The Bettendorf, Iowa, City Council last week approved a $3 million agreement with Canada Pacific that would address noise and safety concerns if CP's merger with Kansas City Southern receives federal approval.

CP would pay the $3 million within 60 days of the Surface Transportation Board’s approval of the merger, the Quad-City Times reported last week. The merger plan is currently under the board’s review.

The Bettendorf agreement is one result of months of negotiations between CP and cities and towns along the Iowa side of the Mississippi River. Other municipalities are still negotiating with CP, the newspaper reported.

If the merger is approved, about 14 additional trains are expected to pass through the Bettendorf area per day, up from about eight trains. The city would use the $3 million to create quiet zones and mitigate other concerns related to increased traffic.