No GO train service on Milton line or at Hamilton station Friday

Metrolinx says there will be noGO train service on the Milton line and at Hamilton GO station on Friday, despite the federal government sendinga dispute at two of Canada's largest rail companies to binding arbitration.

The news comes after a work stoppage left some Toronto commuters who rely on GO Transit scrambling Thursday morningand raised concerns about the impact of an extended stoppage onOntario's agriculture industry.

Federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon has asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to impose final, binding arbitration to end the work stoppage.

Canadian National Railway Co. (CN) said Thursday evening it had ended its lockout and initiated a recovery plan, while Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. (CPKC) says it's preparing to restart operations.

CPKC also said in a statement the CIRB called an urgent meeting Thursday evening about getting service resumed, but noted the Teamsters union refused to discuss resuming service and wants to make submissions to challenge the constitutionality of MacKinnon's direction.

CN and CPKC locked out workers after they failed to reach a deal on a new contract before a midnight deadline Thursday, the first simultaneous shutdown on Canada's two largest railways.

Metrolinx says it's aware of MacKinnon'sdecision, but that there will beno service on the Milton line or at Hamilton GO station for the time being.

The provincial transit agency initially suspended the service Wednesday night, sayingthe decision was made to customers with "as much certainty as possible" as they plan their commutes.

Some commuters arrived Thursday morning at GO Transit stations along the Milton line, which cuts through Mississauga to Toronto's Union Station, only to learn service had been suspended.

"This is completely unacceptable, and we should have been informed earlier, said Om Sangekar, speaking outside the Cooksville GOstation. "I'll definitely be late for work."

Service on all other GO lines, the UP Express and Lakeshore West line stations was unaffected.

Riders who use Hamilton GO station can access train service via West Harbour GO, Aldershot GO or use normally scheduled GO bus service on Route 16, Metrolinx said.

Customers on the Milton line were urged to use local transit options or access the GO network on the Lakeshore West or Kitchener lines, the agency said.

"We apologize for the inconvenience this disruption may cause," Andrea Ernesaks said in an email. "Safety is our priority while additional staff will be available to support customers, our services may be busier than usual."

Shuttles were running every 30 minutes to take those at the Cooksville station to Port Credit's GO hub, where they could catch a ride on the Lakeshore line.

Shraddha Mhatre, a commuter who arrived at the Cooksville station unaware of the stoppage, decided to work from home.

"I have some meetings scheduled in the mornings so I can't take a chance to have any further delays," she said.

Concerns for supply chains

Earlier Thursday, John Corey, president of the Freight Management Association of Canada, said the consequences of a work stoppage could be profound for a wide range of industries and consumers.

"It means that the supply chain is broken and anyone that uses rail services is literally stuck," he told CBC Radio's Metro Morning.

Trucking networks simply cannot replace the amount of goods and materials being transported by rail, he added.

The availability of consumer goods, fresh food and essential industrial materials like chlorine used for water purification and propane for home heating and cooking, would all be affected.

"The trickle down effects are are right across the board," Corey said.

Chris Burkholder, co-owner of Burkholder Farms in Markham, said he was concerned a work stoppage could make Canadian goods less competitive on the global market.

Burkholder said transportation is a significant factor in the agriculture industry.

Last October, the St. Lawrence Seaway shut down after workers went on strike for a week. The full Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway system serves over 100 ports and commercial docks, helping Canada's Prairie provinces and the U.S. Midwest export goods.

Burkholder said the strike had a huge impact on Ontario agriculture. He said his farm, which grows grain corn, soybeans and wheat, was luckyto finish harvesting crops before the seaway closed for winter.

"There would have been thousands and thousands of acres left there on the field if those ships had stopped and not started again," Burkholder said.

Ontario Transportation Minister PrabmeetSarkariasaid the labour disruption is having a "significant impact" on commuters and the provincial economy, and he wants those involved to strike a deal.

"We urge the federal government and those parties to come to the table and to get an agreement so we can get commuters back on the rail and we can get and lessen the impact from an economic perspective," Sarkariasaid Friday morning.

Food insecurity possible in rural areas: independent grocers

In many rural and remote communities, sometimes the only grocery store is an independent grocery store, said Gary Sands, senior vice president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers.There are about 6,900 independent grocery stores in Canada, he said.

"If they're not getting supply of goods and costs are going through the roof, we [will] have food security issues in those communities," he said.

Sands said the government should have invoked binding arbitration "one minute" after the lock out happened.

Earlier Thursday, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) warned a work stoppage would have a "massive effect" on small businesses due to decreased shipments.

The two rail companies move roughly $1 billion worth of goods per day, according to the Railway Association of Canada.