PROTESTS against a natural gas pipeline are crippling Canada's railways, prompting outcries of "insanity" and "ecoterrorism", reports Bloomberg.

The Canadian National Railway has cancelled 400 trains in a week will shut down its operations in Eastern Canada, possibly leading to layoffs and passenger operator Via Rail has cancelled all services.

Demonstrators are blocking rail lines, ports and other infrastructure to show solidarity with the 100-strongAthabaskan Indian band fashioned as the "Wet'suwety'en Nation" on Burns Lake in the remote northern British Columbia bush.

At issue is the construction of TC Energy planned C$6.6 billion (US$5 billion) Coastal GasLink pipeline through their territory in British Columbia.

"This is a good case of insanity," Don Walker, chief executive officer of auto-parts maker Magna International, told Bloomberg.

Oilfield services provider Mullen Group CEO Murray Mullen called the disruptions a form of "ecoterrorism" and said on an earnings call that the government should do something to ease the tensions before the economy is affected by the disruption in the supply chain.

CN Rail said that it has been forced to start the shutdown of its operations in Eastern Canada, which may lead to temporary job cuts soon. Blockades have been cleared in Manitoba and may soon be resolved in British Columbia, but have persisted in Ontario.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on a world tour to win support for a seat on the UN Security Council, said the protests are "of concern" and added the government will be engaging with ministers to look at next steps.

An Angus Reid poll shows that two in five Canadians support the protesters, but most support the pipeline.