How a rail stoppage could affect freight, farming, french fries and more

For the first time, Canada's two main railway companies, Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), are on the verge of a simultaneous labour stoppage.

The companies say they will start locking out workers in the early hours of Thursday if they cannot reach a deal, while the union says it is ready to call a strike for that day.

The Teamsters union is demanding better wages and benefits, including provisions for fatigue management and better crew scheduling.

The two rail lines play an outsized role in the Canadian economy, moving roughly $1 billion worth of goods per day, according to the Railway Association of Canada.

Here's a look at how a stoppage could affect business, and people's everyday lives.

Getting around

For most people, a freight rail stoppage won't have an immediate impact on how they get around. But more than 32,000 rail commuters could be affected in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

Transit authorities say select commuter lines that run on CPKC tracks will be suspended should dispatchers walk off the job alongside 3,200 other workers.

The commuter lines affected by the potential work stoppage are TransLink's West Coast Express in the Vancouver area, Metrolinx's Milton line and Hamilton GO station in the Greater Toronto Area, and Exo's Candiac, Saint-Jerome and Vaudreuil/Hudson lines in the Montreal area.

Via Rail would also see service disrupted along a route in northern Ontario that runs through Sudbury, a spokesperson said.

Grocery stores

The threat of a rail stoppage could also have an effect on what we see on grocery store shelves, especially if the dispute drags on.

Already, some perishable food is not being shipped by rail, said Michael Graydon, chief executive officer of Food,