MONTREAL — Canadian National was able to reopen its main line through Jasper, Alberta, this afternoon while keeping a close eye on a pair of wildfires that have been threatening the resort town.
“CN resumed rail operations at approximately 12 Noon MST on Wednesday, July 24, through Jasper. In collaboration with the Unified Incident Command centre managed by Parks Canada, CN developed and implemented an operational plan that allows trains to safely travel through the area to ensure that goods could continue moving,” CN spokeswoman Ashley Michnowski says. “In addition to the continued efforts of CN’s Trident firefighting train, a second firefighting train, Neptune, is on route to the Jasper area to assist in maintaining track safety and fire fighting efforts.”
CN said it has offered its support to Jasper and Parks Canada to assist in mutual efforts in fighting the wildfire where possible. It also has provided 20,000 liters of fuel to Jasper Park Lodge and offered assistance to Valemount, British Columbia, where Jasper residents – including CN employees and their families – headed after an evacuation order was issued on Monday night.
The reopening of the main line will help CN ease a backlog of traffic that had built up since the railway began shutting down operations earlier this week.
On Monday night local officials ordered an evacuation of Jasper and Jasper National Park. More than 25,000 people have evacuated the park and the town that’s a CN division point, according to the Edmonton Journal.
Data from RailState, a firm that monitors rail traffic through a sensor network located along main lines in Canada and the U.S., shows the extent of the congestion as CN had been forced to hold trains in British Columbia and Alberta.
“This is a major disruption and comes at a particularly vulnerable time,” RailState Chief Commercial Officer John Schmitter said. “There are other large fires threatening rail lines right now and months remaining on fire season.”
CN’s Albreda and Edson subdivisions meet at the division point of Jasper, where CN also has a small yard. The Albreda Sub funnels traffic to and from Vancouver — Canada’s busiest port complex — and connects with the Tete Jaune Subdivision to the Port of Prince Rupert, B.C. The Edson Sub, meanwhile, handles traffic bound to and from Edmonton, Alberta.
On the Tete Jaune Sub, RailState has a sensor in Dunster, B.C., that has recorded an average of 13 trains per day in recent weeks. Prior to today’s reopening, the last train RailState spotted was a westbound manifest train just before midnight on Saturday.
On the Albreda Sub, RailState’s sensor in Valemount has recorded an average of 18.5 trains per day. The last train seen by RailState at Valemount was a manifest train at 1:36 a.m. on Tuesday. That train ultimately headed for Prince Rupert, however, and the last east-west traffic passed through Valemount on Saturday, RailState said.
RailState has a sensor at Hinton, Alberta, on the Edson Sub, where it has recorded an average of 44 trains per day recently. The last train to pass Hinton was a westbound grain train at 11:22 p.m. on Monday. The grain train was among those being held east of Jasper.
At least five westbound trains were being held near Hinton, with another 13 parked between Stony Plain, Alberta, and Hinton, since Monday, RailState said. Some 25 eastbound trains out of Vancouver were holding in and around Kamloops, B.C.
Winds were expected to pick up today, which could bring the fires closer to Jasper, emergency officials said. Firefighters may get some relief from rain that’s expected to fall Wednesday night into Thursday. One of the fires was 3 miles from Jasper on Wednesday morning, while the other was 5 miles outside the town.
Jasper is a stop for VIA Rail’s Canadian. VIA trains 5 and 6, which serve Prince Rupert, originate and terminate in Jasper. On its website, VIA cautions passengers “that in the event that we cannot guarantee safe operation, trains traveling in that region might be canceled prior to their departure or while en route, without offer of alternate transportation. Trains may also incur delays and air quality may be impacted.”
The westbound Canadian scheduled to depart Toronto on Wednesday, July 24, and the eastbound train scheduled to depart Vancouver on Friday, July 26, could be affected, the company says, adding that passengers with reservations would be contacted and advised of any service disruption.
Rocky Mountaineer has canceled two excursions scheduled to depart yesterday. These are “Rainforest to Gold Rush” from North Vancouver, B.C., to Jasper over CN’s former BC Rail route via Prince George, and “Journey through the Clouds” on the same Jasper-Vancouver route used by the Canadian. Updates to other trips that might be canceled will be posted on the Rocky Mountaineer website.
Note: Updated at 3:32 p.m. with information on reopening of main line.
