In the aftermath of a wildfire that closed one of two tracks that pass through British Columbia, US and Canadian shippers are bracing for extended rail delays as Canada’s two Class I railroads, Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), are forced to lower speeds and share a single track to the Port of Vancouver.
The Port of Vancouver, Canada’s busiest port, issued a five- to seven-day delay warning for intermodal customers last Thursday.
The delays occur as Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway route traffic to and from Vancouver across the Thompson subdivision, a 100-mile section of CP-owned rail that re-opened to regular operation on July 5.
Typically, between the two tracks, the railroads regularly run up to 60 trains every day.
Following the incident near Lytton, British Columbia, Transport Canada put limitations on train operations last Sunday, potentially delaying the return of normal service through Vancouver.
CN and CP will also have to boost brush removal surrounding rails, perform fire patrols, and increase locomotive inspections to remove any combustible materials that gather along the subdivisions where the fire occurred. The actions are being taken while the Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigates whether the fire was started by a railway.
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