The closure of the two largest rail companies in Canada last week was not the first time simultaneous work stoppages led to train suspensions.

The joint strike at Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway at the time caused a halt in railway operations in 1950, 1966, 1973, and 1987.

Greg Gormick, who heads OnTrack Consulting, stated that in 1950, as is the case now, rail companies found themselves competing with trucking companies and workers demanded significant gains after a period of unsatisfactory wage increases.

News reports from the four strikes highlight the repercussions on the economy, particularly agriculture, forestry, and retail trade.

Unlike the recent labor impasse, the 1973 railway strike saw workers storming parliament in what the media described as an alcohol-fueled attack on the Centre Block, culminating in a violent clash with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Experts confirmed that last week's four-day closure, which ended on Monday morning after a decision from the labor board ordering the companies and their workers to resume negotiations, was the first time both rail companies shut their doors to their employees simultaneously.