Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows commuters are scrambling to find a way home Thursday afternoon, after protests near Canadian Pacific’s Pitt River rail bridge, shut down rail traffic.
#WCE West Coast Express eastbound service is suspended this afternoon due to protestors blocking the railway adjacent to the Pitt River Bridge. Apologies for the inconvenience. Please contact 604-953-3333 if you require assistance planning an alternative route. ^cm
— TransLink BC (@TransLink) February 13, 2020
“We have been advised by Canadian Pacific Railway Police that we will not be able to run any more West Coast Express service today,” TransLink spokesperson Jill Drews said. All eastbound West Coast Express trains from Waterfront to Mission, have been cancelled for Thursday afternoon.
Protesters have set up on the eastbound track, just west of the bridge.
Instead, TransLink is asking commuters to use SkyTrain and bus service instead. Additional buses could be added to get commuters home, with details to follow.
TransLink is recommending customers who normally use West Coast Express east of Coquitlam, to take SkyTrain to Coquitlam Central Station. From there, they can take the 701 bus or the new R3 RapidBus to Pitt Meadows or Maple Ridge.
There’s also a 701 bus that runs from Haney Place to Mission but it doesn’t run frequently.
“We thank our passengers for their patience and regret this inconvenience,” Drews said.
TransLink will also announce later if Friday morning’s westbound trains to Vancouver will be affected.
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