The port of Vancouver informed that all rail access had been cut by floods and landslides further to the east, a development that could affect shipments of grain, coal and potash.
According to Reuters, two days of torrential rain in the Pacific province of British Columbia caused major flooding and shut rail routes operated by Canadian Pacific Rail and Canadian National Railway. As port spokesperson Matti Polychronis, explained:
All rail service coming to and from the Port of Vancouver is halted because of flooding in the British Columbia interior
The floods have also closed numerous highways, including all main routes to Vancouver, she said.
Vancouver’s port moves $440 million worth of cargo each day, ranging from automobiles and containerized finished goods to essential commodities. Now, the floods temporarily shut down much of the movement of wheat and canola from Canada.
However, Del Dosdall, senior export manager at grain handler Parrish & Heimbecker, expects some rail service to be running by the weekend, although another industry source believes that the shutdown could last weeks.
