CN Network Update - Wildfires in British Columbia

Following is an update from CN on network operations in British Columbia.

The province of British Columbia is currently battling numerous fires as a result of the severe heat that has been impacting the province since the beginning of July.

CN would like to advise our customers that BC Wildfire Service has requested that we temporarily suspend operations in the affected area. Several of the fires are east of Lytton and in a number of areas, the fires are near our tracks. For the safety of our crews, we are not currently running trains between Kamloops and Lytton, BC.

At this time, we have no estimate on when we will be authorized to operate trains.

There are also fires raging very close to our track on the Lillooet line running from Vancouver to Prince George via Squamish, and as a result, we will not be running a train today on that line.

A reminder that at this time an embargo remains in place preventing traffic to be billed westbound to Vancouver from northern BC and east of Kamloops and from the BNSF, UP and Vancouver area towards the East. The BNSF and UP traffic into Vancouver area is permitted. No permits will be issued at this time.

Intermodal traffic is not impacted by this embargo, it is strictly focused on carload traffic.

The following information applies to Intermodal:

Domestic Intermodal 
We will continue to honor in-gate movement at all terminals across the network during the localized operating pause. This includes originating and destined traffic to Vancouver.

We will continue to closely monitor terminal fluidity and equipment capacity over the next 48 hours.

International Intermodal
We continue to load import traffic at the Ports located in BC South as car supply with incoming trains improves and yard congestion reduces with trains departing eastbound.

Acceptance of Export loads and empties destined to Ports in Vancouver continue to be restricted, we are reviewing the in gate acceptance of traffic on a case by case basis and will continue to keep you updated as the situation improves.