Trains are able to travel through Jasper National Park, but passenger rail is not stopping in town as the evacuation and wildfires continue.
CN Railway had suspended operations for several days following the initial evacuation on July 22 but was able to resume rail traffic after inspecting infrastructure and consulting Parks Canada.
The Jasper Train Station has also been left intact from the wildfire.
CN says its operations currently remain active with some minor impacts.
“CN remains in regular contact with the Unified Incident Command and all parties involved to monitor weather and fire movements,” CN spokesperson Ashley Michnowski stated in an email.
VIA Rail says its trains will not stop in Jasper until Sept. 3 but that this period could be extended if necessary.
“The resumption of regular services depends on the recovery of Jasper and authorization from local authorities to stop in the city,” VIA Rail spokesperson Karl Helou stated in an email. “Therefore, we cannot provide a clear timeline for the full restoration of services with stops in Jasper.”
Until recently, its Toronto to Vancouver route had only been operating between Edmonton and Toronto with no service between Edmonton and Vancouver.
Starting Wednesday (Aug. 7) The Canadian (Toronto to Vancouver) will resume end-to-end service between Toronto and Vancouver in both directions but will not stop in Jasper until VIA Rail receives authorization from local authorities.
The Jasper to Prince Rupert route will continue to operate between Prince Rupert and Prince George with no service or alternative transportation between Jasper and Prince George until authorization is granted.
“We understand the challenges and hardships faced by the residents of Jasper during this difficult time and extend our heartfelt sympathies to everyone affected,” Helou added. “We wish the community a prompt and smooth recovery.
The Rocky Mountaineer did not respond to a media request by press time, but its website provided an update regarding the Jasper wildfire.
“Given these devastating circumstances, it is not possible for us to operate the Jasper portion of our Journey through the Clouds and Rainforest to Gold Rush journeys for the foreseeable future, and we are currently modifying those itineraries,” the update stated.
“Our team is moving as quickly as possible to work through the updates to guest itineraries. We ask guests to please be patient as we prioritize those due to travel soonest.”
The Rocky Mountaineer will refund any portion of a book that includes a transfer between Jasper and Edmonton, and it is reaching out to travellers with affected routes.
