VANCOUVER, B.C. A combination of bad weather over the past several weeks in Vancouver and problems with derailments and avalanches on the rails, have produced a major backlog at the Port of Vancouver.

According to a report in the National Post, the delays are the worst ever at the port with nearly 7,000 containers stacked at the docks, 69,500 metres of backlogged boxes at the Deltaport terminal and over 30,500 metres at the Vanterm terminal.

Vessels are waiting for several days at anchor to unload while some carriers are diverting to other ports altogether.

The Vancouver Port Authority and TSI Terminal Systems owner of the terminals met with representatives from container lines calling Deltaport, CN, CPR and DPW (Centerm) to develop a joint action plan to alleviate the current backlog at Deltaport.

A list of immediate actions were developed to assist TSI to resolve their existing backlog; including CN will truck reefers and dry boxes to VIT for loading to rail, CP has offered to receive containers by truck into VIF, steamship lines are in discussion with DPW (Centerm) to divert traffic from Deltaport, and negotiations are in progress to use an off-dock facility to stage imports and exports from trains beginning sometime during the week of Jan. 22.

— with files from the National Post