CN Rail warns of ‘catastrophic impacts’ as it seeks anti-flood barrier in Jasper National Park

CN Rail says it has been working on proposals for long-term flood prevention since 2017, but Parks Canada has allegedly held up an impact assessment for nearly eight years.

Railway operator CN Rail warns flooding could have “catastrophic impacts” on cross-country services in legal action it has filed to force Parks Canada to consider a protective barrier for its main line through Jasper National Park.

Canadian National Railway Co. says in a Federal Court application that Parks Canada has wrongfully held up the work for nearly eight years by refusing to allow proposals to undergo environmental impact assessment.

The railway says Parks Canada is opposed to a proposal to use gravel dredged from the river to construct an anti-flooding berm.

The application filed last month says a portion of its main line that connects B.C. ports with the rest of the country is endangered by the risk that the Snake Indian River in the park will rapidly change course, in a phenomenon known as avulsion.

“CN’s independent experts have concluded that the river adjacent to the CN main line is at impending and inevitable risk of a sudden and unpredictable avulsion in which the river will overtop its banks, rapidly abandon its existing channel and form a new river channel flowing directly downhill toward the main line,” the application says.

The railway company says such an event could cause “significant destruction” of its main rail line, “long-term cessation” of east-west rail service, and a potential “catastrophic train derailment.”

It says the main line is critical infrastructure for the Canadian economy.

The company declined to comment on the legal action, and Parks Canada did not provide comment on the company’s claims by press time.