Vancouver –
Canada’s two largest railways are facing service disruptions following mudslides that have wiped out tracks in British Columbia and caused at least one partial derailment.
Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. spokesman Salem Woodrow says the company is experiencing a track outage north of Hope, B.C., that is affecting rail service in the region.
Montreal-based Canadian National Railway Co. says it is experiencing mudslides and washouts near Yale, B.C. and one partial derailment on a CP-owned track.
The track outages are hampering the movement of goods to and from the country’s largest port in Vancouver, just as global supply chains are facing challenges that have led to shortages.
The Vancouver Fraser Port authority says both railroads “have indicated that no rail traffic is currently able to travel from Kamloops to Vancouver.”
Mudslides precipitated by heavy rain come less than five months after rail cars were idled by wildfires that delayed both exports and imports.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 16, 2021.
