Flooding in southern B.C. continues to present logistical challenges for exporters as
"The recovery of the manufacturing sector in general has slowed down and the crisis in B.C. is just going to make it worse," said
He said trains were running at very low rates even before the
"We hope ... that this gets back to normal as soon as possible, but it's going to take weeks at least, months probably."
CN said it moved seven trains during the weekend but decided to "proactively close its network" because rain was causing increased debris, washout and landslide activity.
"Our crews are working to find safe and effective ways of managing the waterflow, stabilizing the infrastructure and monitoring the overall state of the network," railway spokesman
CN has been able to divert some rail traffic to the
But CN said northbound and eastbound traffic to and from
However, the
"As CP resumes operations and moves from restoration to recovery, CP will closely co-ordinate with customers and terminals to clear the backlogs as safely and efficiently as possible," spokeswoman
"As a railway, we recognize how the service we provide impacts people’s lives and businesses, moving fuels we depend on, the food we eat, the vehicles we drive and the clothing we wear."
At the country's busiest port, a high number of cargo ships are anchored and hampered from unloading their loads while empty ship containers are rushed back to
The number of empty containers through October was up 72 per cent from a year ago while exports were down 11 per cent, says
"Without land close to the port to do this quickly and efficiently, shipping lines are simply rushing containers back, empty, to
The situation is especially difficult for exporters and is causing companies to lay off staff or shut down production since 32 per cent of
"So yes, this is real, and pretty soon it'll start to be measurable, I'm sure," he said. "It's a tragic situation.
This report by
Companies in this story: (TSX:CNR, TSX:CP)
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