By Canadian Press

B.C. commuters left without West Coast Express as railways lock out workers

Aug 22, 2024 | 9:06 AM

Rail commuters in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland must find alternative transportation after Canada’s two major railways locked out workers in their first-ever simultaneous stoppage.

A bulletin from TransLink, Metro Vancouver’s transportation network, says service on the West Coast Express is suspended due to the stoppage, which follows a break down in talks with the union.

The line serves communities between Vancouver and Mission, about 67 kilometres to the east, with stops in the Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and Coquitlam areas.

The transit provider says there is supplemental bus service during the stoppage.

Bargaining between railworkers and Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City was set to resume this morning after breaking off shortly before a midnight deadline that left the workers locked out by their employers.

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The president of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, Bridgitte Anderson, says thousands of workers who rely on the West Coast Express every day have been forced to find alternative transportation, adding to congestion across the region.

She issued a statement saying every day of the stoppage “delivers another blow to people’s wallets,” endangering the livelihoods of business owners and employees.

Fiona Famulak, president of BC Chamber of Commerce, similarly says the group is “extremely disappointed” that the parties haven’t been able to reach a deal.

She says a prolonged stoppage is “untenable,” and it would further damage B.C.’s reputation as a reliable trading partner after job action at western ports last year.

The impasse affects upwards of 32,000 commuters in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, whose lines run on CPKC-owned tracks.

Passenger trains cannot roll along those rails without the locked-out traffic controllers to dispatch them.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 22, 2024.

The Canadian Press