Trains should resume rolling into the northern port of Churchill in early July. That’s the message one of railway companies sent Friday.
Omnitrax Canada says repairs to the 270 kilometre stretch of railroad between Gillam and Churchill are “progressing well,” and it should reopen within the first week of July. Repair work continues over this weekend, and the company “look(s) forward to the resumption of full rail services,” Omnitrax said in a news release.
Permafrost damage has plagued rail services to Churchill, causing a derailment that shut down all passenger and cargo service in early June. Since then, cargo shipments have resumed only to shut down again on June 20 when rail workers discovered further damage.
The shutdown of one of the town’s main transportation links has hurt tourism operators and local businesses. On Wednesday, the provincial government offered the possibility of public funds to get the track reopened as soon as possible.
The extreme weather up north presents frequent challenges to maintaining infrastructure, but this year’s transition from a particularly harsh winter has exacerbated those issues, Omnitrax said.
The company says it will regularly issue updates on the work to restore services at its website.
- With files from the Canadian Press
