The transportation network of British Columbia is susceptible to service disruptions due to catastrophic events such as: earthquakes, rockslides, snowslides, and floods. Such service disruptions would be in the form of closures of links between population centres. A method of assigning probabilities of failure to network links was used to undertake a reliability analysis of the rail network of the Southern Mainland of British Columbia, This reliability estimate is then used to recommend changes in the physical makeup of the network in order to enhance it's flexibility (redundancy). A cost analysis of these proposed links was performed in order to identify the most cost-effective links. The reliability analysis was again performed to show the improvement gained by these physical changes. Also included was an analysis of the Second Narrows Hail Bridge closure (From 12 October 1979 to 3 March 1980) and the consequences on the rail network of the province, as well as a review of emergency operating procedures and recommendations for further study. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Civil Engineering, Department of / Graduate

No abstract included. / Arts, Faculty of / History, Department of / Graduate