Washington
The Canadian government is suspending railway operations in parts of the province of British Columbia amid raging wildfires throughout the province, Transport Canada said on Friday.
“Transport Canada is issuing a Ministerial Order in the interest of safe railway operations, and to protect public safety for the temporary return of residents to inspect their homes in Lytton, British Columbia,” the statement said citing Transport Minister Omar Alghabra.
As part of the order, the Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) will cease railway operations – except for emergency fire response, maintenance and repair work – between Kamloops and Boston Bar, BC in the province’s interior for a period of 48 hours.
Parts of British Columbia remain marred in an unprecedented heatwave, which set a Canadian temperature record in the several days since its onset and has spurred wildfires that have left charred remains of the village of Lytton, forcing a complete evacuation of its residents.
Lytton sits along the rail corridor impacted by the order. Canadian National Railway (CN) to cease movement of trains except for emergency fire response, and maintenance and repair work on its Ashcroft subdivision between Kamloops and Boston Bar, British Columbia; and
Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) to cease movement of trains for emergency fire response, and maintenance and repair work on its Thompson Subdivision between Kamloops and Boston Bar, British Columbia.
Aside from these requirements, trains located on these portions of the Ashcroft and Thompson subdivisions at 12:01 AM PDT are permitted to navigate the subdivisions for the purposes of exiting.—AP
