Trouble on the line: CP Rail traffic delaying West Coast Express, drivers

The West Coast Express has seen significant delays during the afternoon rush every day this week because of what TransLink says is CP Rail freight traffic.

For Joanne Chung, who commutes from UBC to Maple Ridge in the afternoons, it's been a "disappointing" four days. The delays are adding 30 to 50 minutes to her trips.

"It's frustrating to everyone," she said. "We need to be at work or catch connections or do whatever we need to do and you can't rely on the trains being on time … for everybody taking this train, it's a big deal."

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Chung says other passengers she has talked to, who have taken the train for more years than she has, say the delays have been generally getting worse.

She says many passengers are especially concerned about getting home to their children, who are often in daycare.

"Childcare's expensive and people can't afford extra time," she said. "Everybody just wants to get home."

'This has screwed up lots of people's days'

Chung says she believes TransLink is doing the best it can with the delays, and that's what transit authority spokesman Chris Bryan says as well.

"Our customers have been upset with the delays, and understandably," he said. "This has screwed up lots of people's days … we take it very seriously and we want to make sure it doesn't happen."

TransLink does not own the tracks the West Coast Express operates on: they are owned by CP Rail, and TransLink leases them for certain windows of the day, according to Bryan.

He says because of a confidentiality clause, he cannot divulge any of the details of the lease agreement, including what those windows are, how much TransLink pays for them and how TransLink measures how well CP is meeting performance metrics.

In a statement, a CP Rail spokesman wrote that the company, "is focused on addressing this matter and is actively working on solutions to reduce these delays."

Mayor: Pitt Meadows drivers also frustrated

Bryan says the recent trouble on the tracks has happened "all over" and isn't confined to one particular place.

But Pitt Meadows Mayor John Becker says there has been growing unhappiness in his city, in particular, over delays for motorists caused by CP Rail trains at the crossing at Harris Road. That crossing is a major traffic route which connects the south part of town with the Lougheed Highway.

Transport Canada regulations prohibit the blocking of railway crossings with stationary trains for more than five minutes, but Becker says sometimes trains are parked for almost that long, then make "glacier-like" movement, and then become stationary again for another five minutes.

"The fact that a train is shunting back and forth ... but nonetheless sitting in the middle of Harris Road, is of no comfort to our residents who are piling up on each side of the track," he said.

"Could they do better? In my own parochial opinion, yeah, I think they could. Their engineers could be a little more courteous, put a skip in their step."

In response to Becker's comments, the CP spokesman says the company will work with the community to resolve any outstanding issues: "While we try to minimize the effects of our operation on people living nearby, sometimes this is unavoidable."

Pitt Meadows is home to CP Rail's Vancouver Intermodal Facility, a massive works yard at the Pitt River Bridge where shipping containers are loaded and offloaded between trains and trucks. It employs 276 people from Pitt Meadows alone.

Becker says in the long term, the city has plans for a railway underpass to go below Harris Road, which would alleviate delays for motorists.

"All that we have is plans, but we certainly don't have $25 million," he said, referring to the project's estimated cost.