Canadian National’s operations are returning to normal through Jasper, Alberta, where wildfires devastated part of the town and shut down rail traffic last week.
CN resumed service on Friday, and by Sunday volume through Jasper had rebounded to nearly pre-fire levels, according to data from RailState, which monitors rail traffic using a network of sensors and cameras near main lines across Canada and in some locations in the U.S.
The CN main line through Jasper is a key funnel for traffic moving to and from the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert, British Columbia.
RailState monitors the Edson Subdivision at Hinton, Alberta, some 50 miles east of Jasper. “For the first two weeks of July, an average of 19 trains per day moved eastbound and 17.5 moved westbound through this subdivision.” RailState said. “On Sunday, July 28, RailState sensors captured 18 eastbound trains and 15 westbound trains through this area.”
The main line outage cut the flow of traffic to Vancovuer by 46% last week and to Prince Rupert by 42%, RailState said. Westbound traffic to both ports resumed with normal transit times, but eastbound traffic experienced congested-related delays due to the number of trains held while the main line was closed, RailState said.
CN detoured a pair of intermodal trains on Canadian Pacific Kansas City via Calgary, Alberta, RailState said.
The Jasper train station, a popular stop for VIA Rail’s Vancouver-Toronto Canadian streamliner, was not damaged in the fire. VIA Rail has pushed back the resumption of Canadian service between Vancouver and Edmonton, Alberta, until Aug. 5. It previously hoped to restore service on Aug. 2.
Trains 5 and 6, which link Jasper and Prince Rupert via an overnight stopover in Prince George, British Columbia, won’t return to Jasper until Aug. 6. It previously hoped to return the trains to Jasper on July 31.
Rocky Mountaineer’s excursion service to Jasper, which depends on hotels in the area for passenger overnight accommodations, remains suspended indefinitely.
The fast-moving wildfires prompted authorities to order 25,000 residents, tourists, and seasonal workers to evacuate Jasper last week. The fires, which destroyed structures in nearly half of the town, remain out of control in Jasper National Park.
