29 January 2008
Derailed Train, Heavy Snow Snarls Vancouver Traffic
Train cars lie in the waters of Burrard Inlet in Vancouver on
Tuesday, 29 Jan 2008.
Vancouver British Columbia - A blanket of snow that
descended on Metro Vancouver Tuesday snarled traffic and caused headaches for frustrated commuters trying to get to work.
Schools were also shut down after the morning snowfall that dumped about two inches of snow across the city.
Road closures, delays, lineups, and dozens of accidents contributed to the snarl.
Further complicating the traffic woes, a CP Rail train carrying grain derailed in Burnaby, interrupting the West Coast Express commuter
rail line and forcing travellers to disembark before the blockage and board buses for the journey downtown, said CTV British Columbia's
Carrie Stefanson.
She told CTV's Canada AM the blockage was putting pressure on alternate routes such as the SkyTrain, which was already packed with
commuters who took the train rather than fight traffic on the roads.
The five West Coast Express trains carry roughly 5,000 passengers into the city each morning, dramatically increasing pressure on the
Skytrain service.
"We've been reminding people that they need to dress warmly, expect delays, be patient, and expect there is going to be a lot of
company on those transit systems", Translink spokesman Drew Snider told CP.
He warned that the afternoon rush might not be much better.
"When you are dealing with a derailment you take your time, so with the track blocked, it is going to be hard to say if the West
Coast Express will be able to make it all the way into Vancouver, or if we will have to pull it out from Coquitlam and get people out
there, somehow".
A spokesperson for CP said no one was injured and no environmental damage was caused by the derailment, which occurred just before 2
a.m.
By early afternoon the snowfall warning was lifted for Vancouver, but other parts of the province were expected to receive up to 15
centimetres of snow before turning to rain later in the day.
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