Canadian PM Trudeau says rail blockades must end

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday the barricades blocking rail services in Canada have to come down now and court injunctions must be obeyed.

Demonstrators have set up blockades in British Columbia and Ontario in solidarity with opponents of the Coastal GasLink pipeline project that crosses the traditional territory of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation in northwestern British Columbia.

Hereditary chiefs in the Wet'suwet'en First Nation oppose the natural gas pipeline through their traditional territory, though it has received approval from elected band councils.

Trudeau said the situation is unacceptable and untenable and every attempt at dialogue has been made.

He noted some people can't get to work and others have lost their jobs. He said there's no point making the same overtures to indigenous leaders if they aren't accepted.

"We can't have dialogue when only one party is coming to the table," Trudeau said.

Via Rail, Canada's passenger train service, said this week it is temporarily laying off 1,000 employees due to the continued halt in service on CN Rail's tracks in eastern Canada caused the blockades.

CN Rail also announced 450 temporary layoffs.

Trudeau has made reconciliation with Canada's First Nations a priority for his government.