Story highlights Rail delays expected from British Columbia flooding
Cargo movements between Alberta and B.C. could be delayed months
The ripple effect of Wednesday’s River Flood Projection Bulletin
Rail service in and out of British Columbia will be in the doldrums for months, if not longer, because of the big flooding this week.
On Wednesday, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) posted a letter to its Facebook page saying that evacuation orders in affected areas extend to 500,000 residents “across 4 southern British Columbia provinces.”
As a result, the ongoing issue of flooding has compelled many farmers to plant crops in what is already a wet and often cold season.
According to SFU’s Transportation Center, and based on information from Canada’s transportation and communications department, Western Canada’s B.C. ports are affected and delays could be weeks, not just days.
The River Flood Projection Bulletin has indicated all shipments from Canada’s Pacific Coast are at risk because of the snow, rain and flooding. As such, its main route from port to the U.S. is severely hampered.
Other major hubs such as Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Prince George also face issues with rail lines and port operators as a result of the flooding.
“One of the regions we’re seeing impacted, there’s a Vancouver port, Vancouver port, where there is a big terminal running and that can either contract with the US or actually just other carriers where it can move products from port to the port,” said Natalie Ciaccia, a spokeswoman for BC Rail, on the company’s website.
She adds that due to this flood and reports that provinces are working to get flood relief funding, BC Rail has been taking extra precautions and expects deliveries of some cargo to be delayed until late this week or even next week.
You can view the full list of affected regions and shipping routes on the Transportation Center’s website here.
