Late Wednesday, 24 July, a devasting wildfire caused significant damage to the Canadian town of Jasper, Alberta, including rail infrastructure.

As a result, rail service on CN's mainline through Jasper, Alberta, was halted, affecting cargo flow to and from the Port of Vancouver.

After restoration and inspection efforts, the line was reopened on Friday, 26 July, with staged trains transiting through the region.

According to the Port of Vancouver, a plan to process the train backlog has been implemented. This plan includes coordination of CN train detours over the CPKC track between Calgary, AB, and Kamloops, B.C. 

Furthermore, both railway companies will continue to employ fire mitigation and prevention activities using specialised fire suppression trains, equipment, and crews.  

Although the port was not directly affected by the wildfire, due to the rail service disruptions, it expects vessel delays and increased anchorage demand in the coming days.

According to Kuehne+Nagel's seaexplorer analytics, the vessel waiting time on 29 July was 1.22 days in Vancouver, and there was one vessel at anchor.

The latest network recovery update from CN on can be found here.

Should you have questions about your Canadian cargo, please get in touch with your local Kuehne+Nagel representative.