A protest east of Belleville has shut down VIA Rail service between Toronto and Ottawa and Toronto and Montreal.
At around 9:20 a.m., VIA Rail said the protest on the CN railway tracks at Marysville has led to a number of cancellations.
The protesters are showing support for the Wet’suwet’en First Nation in northern British Columbia. Six people were recently arrested near a worksite as the RCMP enforced an injunction against the Nation’s hereditary chiefs and their supporters, who are opposing the Coastal GasLink pipeline.
“Due to the protesters currently blocking tracks near Belleville, Ontario, train service between Montreal and Toronto and between Ottawa and Toronto is affected in both directions,” the company said on its website. “None of the trains on these two routes will operate until the issue is resolved.”
On Twitter, the company listed trains 651, 41, 43, 50, 52, 60, 61, 62, 63 as having been cancelled Friday and said that train 51 would operate between Montreal and Ottawa, but would not travel between Ottawa and Toronto.
Via Rail announced on Friday night that there will be no service for trains 60, 62, 50, 52, 61, 63, 641, 643 on Saturday.
The company is urging customers to check its website for updates. It said customers with tickets for cancelled trains would be able to get a full refund.
Ontario Provincial Police say they are monitoring the protests to ensure public safety, but no arrests have been made.
-With files from The Canadian Press
