West Coast Express trains cancelled due to protest blockades
Posted February 13, 2020 3:21 pm.
Last Updated February 13, 2020 6:39 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — West Coast Express trains from Waterfront to Mission are cancelled due to protest blockades.
Protesters have been blocking the tracks on the Pitt River rail bridge. At the advice of the Canadian Pacific Railway Police, service has been shut down for the rest of Thursday.
Alternative routes:
Take SkyTrain to Coquitlam Central Station. If you need to go East, use 701 or Rapid Bus Service to Hayney Place, Maple Ridge.
There is limited bus service to Mission. @TransLink looking into whether it can add additional buses on those routes.— Lasia Kretzel (@lkretzel1130) February 14, 2020
Spokesperson Jill Drews says it isn’t clear if the trains will available for Friday morning’s commute.
Protesters blocking east bound rail traffic at Mary Hill Bypass.
@BT_Vancouver @news1130 @CityNewsVAN pic.twitter.com/m463Eu2lVF— von adler (@adler_von65) February 14, 2020
“We would need to have the trains in Mission in order to run them back out to Vancouver,” she says. “We are waiting for direction from the Canadian Pacific Railway.”
Happening Now: Protestors blocking the tracks on the rail bridge over the Maryhill Bypass. The Westcoast Express shut down as a result. @CityNewsVAN @NEWS1130Traffic @JACK969van pic.twitter.com/WhGjkMXon7
— Danger On Air (@DangerOnAir) February 14, 2020
Commuters are advised to use the SkyTrain and bus lines instead and to be aware of possible overcrowding. TransLink says it is working on adding extra bus lines.
This comes after VIA rail cancelled all scheduled trips across the country, and CN Rail called off some service in eastern Canada all due to ongoing anti-pipeline and Indigenous rights protests.
