QUESNEL, B.C.—Out-of-control forest fires in the Cariboo region north of Vancouver, B.C., have closed Canadian National’s former British Columbia Railway line between Lillooet and Quesnel, CN spokeswoman Kate Fenske tells Trains News Wire.
“CN is working closely with Emergency Management B.C., and other parties engaged in fighting the wildfires to protect people and rail infrastructure. We are monitoring the situation and rail corridors and have re-routed traffic in some locations across the province as necessary.”
Passengers booked on Rocky Mountaineer’s July 11 “Rainforest to Gold Rush” westbound excursion out of Jasper, Alta., which normally operates through Prince George, B.C. and overnights at Quesnel, will travel by motor coach to a place where the railway is open (probably Lillooet), and continue their trip by train to the stop at Whistler, B.C. and then on to Vancouver. “Our team of hosts will accompany the guests to ensure their safety and comfort throughout the journey,” says Rocky Mountaineer communications manager Nicole Ford.
The company’s other two routes between Vancouver and both Banff, Alta., and Jasper are operating normally, but an advisory warns, “The wildfire situation in British Columbia is unstable and we will continue to monitor it closely to determine if it will affect other departures.”
VIA spokeswoman Mariam Diaby says the westbound Canadian that left Toronto on July 4 and its eastbound counterpart departing Vancouver on July 7 are running late, in part as a result of delays west of Kamloops, B.C. “All of our trains operated through the Ashcroft (B.C.) area at a safe distance from the forest fire there. We are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to operate as long as it is safe to do so,” she says.
Though VIA and Rocky Mountaineer trains normally run on Canadian National rails through Ashcroft, a parallel Canadian Pacific line could also be utilized.
