(July 12, 2023) – RailState, the rail industry’s only provider of real-time rail network visibility, independently tracks all freight rail movements across Canada, and as such, is uniquely positioned to observe the initial impacts on rail from the strike at the B.C. ports.
As the strike by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada (ILWU Canada) enters its second week, RailState is closely monitoring the flows of rail traffic in the western ports region and the impact on rail traffic throughout Canada and into the United States.
Intermodal experienced the most immediate changes from the work stoppage, slowing to a halt soon after the start of the strike on July 1. Volume changes in other commodities, while not as immediate and stark as intermodal, are also showing a substantial impact from the strike.