LONDON, Ontario — Sparks from a CPKC locomotive’s exhaust likely triggered the fire that sent burning railcars through downtown London in April, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada has concluded.
The CBC reports that the TSB has ended its investigation into the incident based on that conclusion, saying in a statement that “there is nothing that would indicate any further investigation beyond a Class 5 investigation” — one limited in scope and without a full report — “would produce any systemic safety benefits.”
The April 21 fire involved five gondola cars of used railroad ties heading for disposal and was originally investigated as arson [see “Fiery CPKC train rolls through London, Ontario,” Trains News Wire, April 22, 2024]. It took some 28 firefighters with 10 trucks to control the blaze. The fire caused an estimated C$25,000 to the railcars and C$10,000 to a building adjacent to where the train stopped so the fire could be extinguished.
The safety board told the CBC in an email that the CPKC crew “made all appropriate notifications” according to the railroad’s emergency protocols and that it would not share any other information on the incident because “any and all relevant information obtained under the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act is confidential.”
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