Major Commuter Lines Continue to Face Disruptions as CN and CPKC Await Arbitration Decision
Canadian commuters may have to adjust their travel plans as a countrywide rail lockout has closed lines in major metropolitan areas for a second day.
On Thursday, bewildered commuters were turned away from closed rail lines, with GO Transit in Ontario announcing that service will continue to be down today on the Milton line and at the Hamilton GO station.
Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon has requested final, binding arbitration from the Canada Industrial Relations Board to end the work stoppage.
Canadian National Railway Co. confirmed on Thursday evening that it had lifted its lockout and was implementing a recovery plan, while Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. is gearing up to restart operations.
CPKC also mentioned that the CIRB held an urgent meeting on Thursday evening to discuss resuming service, but the Teamsters union declined to engage in talks and seeks to challenge the constitutionality of MacKinnon’s directive.
CN and CPKC locked out workers after failing to reach a new contract agreement before the midnight deadline on Thursday, marking the first simultaneous shutdown of Canada’s two largest railways.
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TransLink in B.C. has announced that service on the West Coast Express will remain suspended today, with three of the Exo network’s train lines in the Montreal area also staying down.
Catherine Maurice, a spokesperson for Exo, stated that the timeframe for resuming services is currently unknown.
“We are waiting for instructions from CPKC, the owner of the railway lines on which we are unable to operate trains, before determining the terms and timing of resuming commuter train service,” Maurice explained in a statement on Thursday.
Via Rail has canceled trains on its 480-kilometre Sudbury-White River line in northern Ontario until the work stoppage is resolved.
The affected commuter railways in Ontario and British Columbia also operate on CPKC-owned lines.
CPKC mentioned on Thursday that more details on the resumption of service timing would be shared once they receive the order from the industrial relations board.
