Jasper fires force trains to go slow 

Glacier FarmMedia—The Canadian National Railway line through Jasper, Alta,. is open, but trains are moving slowly due to the wildfire that destroyed a significant part of the community this week.

The implications for grain movement are unknown, but unloads are already down at the port of Vancouver.

The railway suspended service Tuesday due to two wildfires burning in the area and implemented its firefighting train, Trident, early that morning.

The next day it resumed operations after developing an operational plan with the Unified Incident Command Centre and added a second firefighting train, Neptune. However, later that day CN again suspended operation as a wall of fire swept through the town.

Read Also

Loblaw and parent company to pay out $500 million in bread price fixing settlement

Grocery giant Loblaw (Loblaw Companies Limited) and parent company George Weston Limited announced yesterday a $500 million settlement had been reached concerning their involvement in a bread price-fixing scandal.

The company’s Friday update said trains had resumed.

“After inspecting its infrastructure on Thursday afternoon, CN collaborated with the Unified Incident Command centre to revise and implement its operational plan, allowing goods to safely resume movements Friday morning through Jasper,” the statement said.

“CN remains in regular contact with unified command and all parties involved, and monitoring weather and fire movements.”

The company also pledged to work with the community as it rebuilds.

Late Friday, Western Grain Elevator Association general manager Wade Sobkowich said the line was open but smoke and concern for track condition resulted in slow going.

He said trains usually travel about 55 m.p.h. on that line but were down to between 20 and 25 m.p.h.

CN usually moves 40 trains daily on the line, but that has been reduced to between 10 and 12 at that speed, he said.
“These are total trains, grain and other commodities as well,” Sobkowich said.

“CN has about 120 trains stopped in various places throughout their network as a result of the Jasper fire so far.”

He said grain unloads at Vancouver were down about 50 per cent since traffic resumed, and grain handlers are concerned.

Sobkowich also said new labour laws that govern work and rest times came into affect in May, and the railway will be facing labour limitations as well.