MONTREAL – The busiest section of the Canadian National main line is shut down today due to a fast-moving wildfire in Jasper, Alberta.
Officials ordered an evacuation of Jasper as well as visitors to Jasper National Park overnight as the fire spread and left only a westbound escape route out of town, according to Canada’s CBC network. About 4,700 people were evacuated.
“We have safely suspended rail service through the Jasper National Park due to several active wildfires east and south of Jasper, Alberta. We remain in communication with the local Emergency Operations Centers,” CN spokeswoman Ashley Michnowski says.
“CN crews in the area are working to inspect and protect the track infrastructure with CN’s firefighting train, Trident, which arrived in Jasper early this morning,” she says. “No track damage has been reported at this time. We thank first responders for their continued efforts.”
CN has a fleet of three firefighting trains.
CN’s Albreda and Edson subdivisions meet at the division point of Jasper, where CN also has a small yard. The route funnels traffic to and from Vancouver and Prince Rupert, British Columbia.
Jasper is a stop for VIA Rail’s Canadian, and VIA trains 5 and 6, which serve Prince Rupert, originate and terminate in Jasper. On its website, VIA cautions passengers “that in the event that we cannot guarantee safe operation, trains traveling in that region might be cancelled prior to their departure or while en route, without offer of alternate transportation. Trains may also incur delays and air quality may be impacted.”
The westbound Canadian scheduled to depart Toronto on Wednesday, July 24, and the eastbound train scheduled to depart Vancouver on Friday, July 26, could be affected, the company says, adding that passengers with reservations would be contacted and advised of any service disruption. The eastbound Canadian that departed Vancouver, B.C., on July 22 apparently has made it through the fire region and was last reported at Edson, B.C., west of Edmonton, but the westbound train was stopped at Unity, Sask., late Tuesday afternoon.
Also, Rocky Mountaineer has cancelled two excursions scheduled to depart today. These are “Rainforest to Gold Rush” from North Vancouver, B.C., to Jasper over CN’s former BC Rail route via Prince George, and “Journey through the Clouds” on the same Jasper-Vancouver route used by the Canadian. Updates to other trips that might be cancelled will be posted on the Rocky Mountaineer website.
— Updated at 5:10 p.m. CT with additional details on the Canadian and information on Rocky Mountaineer. Trains correspondent Bob Johnston contributed to this report.
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