VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Canadian National has shut down service on its route to Vancouver as additional rain, flooding, and landslides continue to plague a hard-hit area in British Columbia’s interior.
The CBC reports CN moved seven trains over the weekend before it elected to “proactively close its network” as rain was causing increased debris, washout, and landslide activity.
While the railroad has diverted some traffic to the Port of Prince Rupert, which has been unaffected by the severe weather, traffic to and from Vancouver remains halted.
“Our crews are working to find safe and effective ways of managing the water flow, stabilizing the infrastructure and monitoring the overall state of the network,” spokesman Mathieu Gaudreault told the CBC in an email.
Canadian Pacific restored service to Vancouver on Nov. 24 after repairing damage at 30 locations between there and Kamloops, B.C., but notes it needs access to CN tracks to maximize capacity. The railroads operate paired trackage through the Thompson and Fraser river canyons where much of the flood damage occurred.
The president of the group Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, Dennis Darby, said he expects it will “take weeks at least, months probably” for traffic flow to return to normal, and that exporters are beginning to lay off staff or shut down production because of the inability to move goods.
Ah, if only CN had another route into the Vancouver area, from the North.
Oh wait…
Can CN still get to Vancouver from the North via the former BC Rail line? Can CP still get to the UP interchange NE of Spokane?
Cancelled on a week by week basis, as both the CANADIAN and SKEENA are only operating once per week.
Any update on VIA service through the affected areas??