For CP, a rapid recovery from Alberta floods
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefCanadian Pacific said Monday, June 24 that its main line west of Calgary through the Banff-Canmore region of Alberta is now open after operations crews successfully restored segments impacted by the extreme weather the preceding week. A portion of CP track in Calgary was expected to reopen late on June 24, fully restoring the railroad’s main line. A segment of CP’s south line to Lethbridge, Alberta, was expected be fully restored by Thursday, June 27.
Heavy rainfall and an accelerated snowcap melt in the Canadian Rockies caused severe flooding; many Southern Alberta communities remain evacuated and under states of emergency, including Calgary.
While the affected segments of the CPR main line were being fully restored, the railroad detoured a number of its trains on the southwestern part of its network and was assisted by CN and other carriers over the weekend of June 22-23.
“Considering the devastating impacts to thousands of people and property that this extreme weather left in its path, I commend the resiliency and dedicated efforts of all our CP railroaders, who safely worked to get our network back in service so quickly,” said CP Chief Executive Officer E. Hunter Harrison, who noted that, during the four-day period, crews responded to over 40 individual locations impacted by high water in both Alberta and the British Columbia interior.
“The force and extent of this flooding was extensive and evolved from hour-to-hour. As locations were identified, CP crews responded with equipment and resources and carefully managed to safely and systematically restore each outage,” said Harrison. “Despite the significant recovery efforts and interruption to railway operations, CP maintains its previously provided guidance for 2013.”
