Via Rail plans to resume service on most routes next week, but the Prince Rupert-Prince George-Jasper route remains cancelled with no resumption in sight.
Passenger rail service in northern B.C. will remain cancelled until at least March 6, Via Rail said in a press release issued on Friday. Via Rail and CN Rail, which owns the track, have not returned repeated requests for more information from The Citizen.
"Most of VIA Rail Canada services will be progressively back in operation, including between Toronto-Montréal and Toronto-Ottawa as of Tuesday, March 3," Via said in a press release. "We continue to work with the infrastructure owner, CN Rail, on making sure that normal service can resume on all routes and that passengers can be welcomed back on board our trains as quickly as possible."
As of Friday, Via Rail reported it had cancelled 940 trains because of the impact ongoing rail blockades, impacting approximately 164,000 passengers. The blockades have been in solidarity with a group of Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs who oppose construction of a natural gas pipeline through their territory south of Houston, B.C.
