Flooding and supply chain: CN looks to reopen tracks in southern B.C. after 2nd network shutdown
Canadian National Railway Co. says it aims to reopen its network in southern British Columbia this weekend after another bout of rain and wind prompted a second shutdown.
CN said Friday that engineers and construction crews continue to work on the Vancouver-Kamloops corridor, which was first cut by landslides and washouts amid torrential downpours in mid-November.
The country's largest railroad operator restored limited service along the vital supply link last week before opting to “proactively close” the line again Monday as more rain triggered further mudslides, flooding and debris.
“The company continues to move limited amounts of trains through the region on other available rail infrastructure,” spokesman Jonathan Abecassis said in an email.
The Montreal-based railway has also been able to divert some traffic to the Port of Prince Rupert, which remains fully operational and unaffected by the severe weather.
Meanwhile, Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. says service in the region is ongoing, including to the Port of Vancouver.
CP cars loaded with Prairie grain and fuel entered Vancouver last week for the first time in days after its rail corridor sustained heavy damage in some 30 locations between Vancouver and Kamloops, B.C.
However, the Calgary railway has said it needs access to CN tracks on its busiest corridor where they share rail infrastructure in order to maximize capacity.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.