Metrolinx has suspended GO train service on the Milton line and at Hamilton GO station as the transit agency deals with the impacts of an unprecedented work stoppage at two of Canada’s largest rail companies.
A spokesperson for Metrolinx said the decision to shut down service was made late Wednesday to provide customers with “as much certainty as possible” as they plan their commutes.
Service on all other GO lines, the UP Express and Lakeshore West line stations will not be affected.
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 Thursday.
Customers on the Milton are urged to use local transit option 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.”
All traffic on two of the country’s and most vital railways ground to a halt at 12:01 a.m. ET after contract negotiations between Canadian National Railway Co. (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. (CPKC) and the union representing some 9,300 rail workers broke down.
The companies haul a combined $1 billion in goods each day, according to the Railway Association of Canada.
John Corey, president of the Freight Management Association of Canada, said the consequences of the 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. Their business is over for now, until the strike is over,” 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 ports essentially are going to shut down in a day or two because they have no exports and containers that are currently at the port can’t be removed. So once they clear the whatever they can by truck, everything is just going to stop. And we’re talking about supply chain that goes from Halifax to Vancouver,” Corey said.
If the labour dispute drags on, “we’re in a lot of trouble,” he continued. The availability of consumer goods, fresh food and essential industrial materials like chlorine used for water purification and propane for home heating and cooking, will all be affected.
“The trickle down effects are are right across the board,” Corey said.
In a statement, Ontario Premier Doug Ford called for both sides in the labour dispute to return to the bargaining table.
“The rail strike at CN and CPKC is already costing workers, transit users and businesses across the country, and we cannot afford to let things get worse,” Ford said.