The city wants to move a rail line closer to houses in Waverley Heights to make room for the bus rapid transit line.

The tracks run along Gull Lake Road. The plan is to move the tracks nearly six metres closer to the homes.

Barb Sheldon's family has learned to live with the trains that run behind her Waverley Heights home

"At night, they tend to be a little bit louder, because they go faster," said Sheldon. “We're used to it. It just kind of shakes the house. If the windows are open, you hear it.”

But the idea of moving the train tracks even closer to her house doesn't sit well with the mother of two and home day care operator.

“That wouldn't be so good, because the fear of tipping over already is in my head,” she said. “So, if they were to move a little closer, that would freak me out a little more.”

In order to build the second line of bus rapid transit to the University of Manitoba, the city says the rail lines must be moved 5.7 metres towards the homes.

“Given the feeling about rail safety in this country, that that is a legitimate concern,” said area city councillor Justin Swandel.

Swandel says people living along the rail line have expressed safety concerns. He wants to see if there is a way to build the bus line without moving the rail lines.

“It's the rush to get things done that causes us problems,” he said. “This is a rush to get things done and in this case it involves safety concerns on behalf of citizens.”

Transit says changing the design would increase the cost of the $600 million bus project.

Coun. Jenny Gerbasi accuses Swandel of fear mongering, saying transit has assured councillors safety won't be compromised and that the distance between the lines and houses is well within federal guidelines. She says any changes or delays to the design could put the brakes on rapid transit.

“You know, it just feeds on people's existing fears, which is easy to do right now, and I just think that's unfortunate, because this is one of the most important projects. We've been waiting 30, 40 years.”

Transit has agreed to come to talk to the residents that live in the area to try to alleviate their concerns.

Transit says, when the new rail lines are built, they will have a barrier that comes along with them. This will cut down on noise and vibrations.

But Swandel says cutting down on nose and vibrations doesn't make a rail line safer.

- With a report by Jeff Keele