Here’s why travelling to Montreal by train is a little tougher right now

BELLEVILLE, Ont. — Protesters halted train travel along two of VIA Rail’s busiest Ontario routes Sunday as they continued to demonstrate against a natural gas pipeline project in British Columbia.

VIA Rail says 18 of its trains were cancelled Sunday, affecting service between Toronto and Montreal, as well as Toronto and Ottawa in both directions.

Canadian National Railway traffic was also blocked along the corridor east of Toronto.

The blockade took over the tracks Thursday night in solidarity with demonstrators in northwest B.C. where Indigenous people and supporters are protesting the construction of a pipeline that crosses Wet’suwet’en territory.

RCMP officers there have been arresting people for breaching a court injunction related to opposition to the 670-kilometre Coastal GasLink pipeline.

CN says it has been granted an injunction order to remove protesters from the site near Belleville, Ont.

Ontario provincial police say they’re continuing to monitor the demonstration.

On Saturday, more protesters in Toronto disrupted Canadian Pacific Railway traffic downtown and momentarily blocked GO Transit trains on the Barrie line.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 9, 2020.

The Canadian Press