National

Rail strike would halt B.C.'s West Coast Express commuter train, says TransLink

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 21 Aug, 2024 02:29 PM

The operator of British Columbia's commuter train that shuttles thousands of people across the Lower Mainland says it won't be able to run if a strike halts Canada's two biggest railways this week.

Metro Vancouver transport provider TransLink says the West Coast Express operates on rail owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. and can't run without that company's dispatchers and railworkers.

Negotiations between Canadian National Railway Co., Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. and the Canada Teamsters Rail Conference have struggled, and unless agreements are reached service at both companies is slated to stop at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Thursday.

The West Coast Express operates weekdays between downtown Vancouver and Mission, making stops in communities including Pitt Meadows and Port Coquitlam.

A statement from TransLink says if the West Coast Express is unable to operate, more buses will be added to help move commuters.

A strike would trigger the first-ever simultaneous work stoppage at the country's biggest rail companies, whose trains haul a combined $1 billion worth of goods per day.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Pharmacare bill passes in the House of Commons, heads to the Senate

The Liberals' pharmacare bill is headed to the Senate after passing third reading in the House of Commons. The bill was the result of careful and lengthy negotiations between the Liberals and the New Democrats as a key element of their political pact to prevent an early election.

Pharmacare bill passes in the House of Commons, heads to the Senate

White Rock woman charged in theft

A 36-year-old White Rock woman is facing several charges including break and enter, theft and possession of stolen goods, after an alert neighbour in Tsawwassen called police to report a robbery. Delta police say it happened around 4:20 this morning when the neighbour saw a man and woman removing property from the home's garage and putting it in a nearby minivan.

White Rock woman charged in theft

Hackers may have accessed 22 B.C. government inboxes, data on 19 employees: Farnworth

Twenty-two British Columbia government email inboxes with sensitive personal information on 19 employees may have been accessed during a cyber attack on the province's networks, the minister of public safety said on Monday. Mike Farnworth said there's no indication the general public's information was compromised and investigators have not identified any misuse of the information the criminals may have accessed.

Hackers may have accessed 22 B.C. government inboxes, data on 19 employees: Farnworth

Woman's body found in Chilliwack

Homicide detectives have taken over an investigation into the death of a 50-year-old woman in Chilliwack that they say is suspicious. R-C-M-P say officers responded to a sudden death at a city home on Sunday where they found the woman's body.

Woman's body found in Chilliwack

B.C. sets distance for drivers to steer clear of cyclists, scooter users, walkers

Drivers in British Columbia now have to meet minimum distances between their vehicle and people walking or riding on provincial roads. The new rules start Monday and require drivers to stay at least a metre away from vulnerable road users if the speed limit is up to 50 kilometres an hour, and a metre-and-a-half at speeds over that.

B.C. sets distance for drivers to steer clear of cyclists, scooter users, walkers

Feds create $530M fund for cities to adapt to climate change

Canadian cities and towns facing an uphill battle to stave off the effects of climate change will share more than half a billion dollars from a new federal adaptation fund. The Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation initiative will offer up to $1 million to local governments for projects that upgrade or adjust their infrastructure and natural environment to be more protected from extreme weather events including floods, fires and major storms.