British Columbia floods cut all rail links to Port of Vancouver

In mid-November 2021, almost 300 millimeters (about 12 inches) of rain fell on parts of southern British Columbia. The resulting floods and mudslides cut off the Port of Vancouver from the rest of the country by rail.

Both railroads shut down

On Nov. 16, 2021, the port said all rail traffic in and out of the port had stopped. Most highways in and out of the Vancouver area were also effectively closed, leaving no easy way to move freight inland by truck either.

Canadian National reported mudslides and washouts near Yale, British Columbia. A train partially derailed on a line owned by Canadian Pacific, with no injuries reported. CP said it had a track outage near Hope.

Why rail mattered so much

Barry Prentice, speaking to CBC News, pointed out that a single train can carry as much freight as 400 trucks. That meant trucks could not replace rail capacity even if highways reopened quickly.

The timing was difficult. The Western Canada grain harvest was moving at the time, and much of it flows to export through Vancouver.

CP spokesperson John Brooks said the railroad was routing some traffic toward Portland, Oregon, as an alternative.

A second blow in one year

The floods were the second major disruption to British Columbia's rail corridors in 2021. In the summer, wildfires around Lytton had already disrupted the main lines.

What it meant for carriers

For Canadian and cross-border carriers, the floods disrupted supply chains far beyond British Columbia. With rail and most highways closed at once, trucks could not serve as a backup, and some freight had to be rerouted through the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

Shippers that rely on Vancouver had to rethink routing and timing. The disaster also showed how few routes connect the coast with the rest of the continent, and how quickly one storm can close them all.