Eastbound West Coast Express delayed 80 hours over last 47 days, says TransLink

After a spate of delays to West Coast Express service, Metro Vancouver mayors expressed their frustration with CP Rail freight traffic they say is responsible.

In a pair of letters, TransLink and the Mayors' Council on Regional Transportation say over the past 47 operating days, eastbound West Coast Express trains have seen 319 station delays on 69 trains causing 80 hours of delay in total.

Train riders heading east from Vancouver Monday afternoon found copies of those letters on their seats: one was mostly an apology for the recent delays, the other an open letter to the federal minister of transportation and CP Rail CEO Hunter Harrison.

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"We have repeatedly reached out to senior CP officials to ensure they take all necessary steps to restore the reliable service you expect and that CP is obligated by contract to provide," one letter, signed by TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond and BCRTCpresident Vivienne King.

"Unfortunately, despite assurances from CP, the situation has not yet improved we continue to strongly advocate to CP and have appealed to the federal government to help press for an immediate fix."

The letters say there is "little clarity" from CP as to how the delays will be resolved.

More grain, intermodal traffic to blame, CP says

TransLink does not own the tracks the West Coast Express operates on: they are owned by CP Railand TransLink leases them for certain windows of the day with the expectation certain targets for on-time trains will be met.

CP Rail did not comment forthis story, instead providing a letter from Dec. 6 written to local mayors about the delays.

The letter says CP is looking for solutions but also notes that over recent months, intermodal and grain traffic has increased, creating congestion.

Maple Ridge MayorNicole Read says CP has a duty to provide the services they said they would.

"This is the main way that our citizens who leave in the morning ... get downtown," she said. "There's an agreement in place.I think that agreement needs to be honoured.I think that while that agreement is in place, we need to make sure that our riders are able to reach their destinations on time."

What happens in 8 years?

CP's letter also says the current congestion means it's time to "think about the future needs of freight and passenger services coexisting on the existing two tracks" and points out TransLink is not spending money on new West Coast Express infrastructure beyond rail cars.

"To a layperson, it sounds like they expect TransLink to build an extra track for dedicated West Coast Express service," Pitt Meadows Mayor John Becker said of that portion.

"It is not our problem. CP, who is getting paid to provide us with a service [has] to give us the service."

But Becker says CP Rail's lease agreement with TransLink ends in eight years, and if CP does not wish to renew, the region may have to make a decision on some sort of transit infrastructure for the northeastern municipalities: perhaps more train trackbut maybe light rail or even SkyTrain.

"Given the tone of this letter and the issues it raises, I think we need to have a conversation sooner rather than later about what happens ineight years," he said.