TSB report details runaway-car incident in CP Toronto Yard

RICHMOND HILL, Ontario — A Canadian Pacific crew applied an insufficient amount of force during a hand-brake test, and therefore did not set enough hand brakes to prevent a runaway-car incident at CP’s Toronto Yard, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada determined in its investigation into a March 13, 2022, incident.

The board released its final report on the incident on Thursday.

The event saw 103 railcars roll uncontrolled downgrade for about 3,200 feet. The seven leading cars derailed, including three loaded with sulphuric acid. No spill occurred and no one was injured.

On the evening of March 12, the crew bringing a train into the yard secured the cars on track G05 using six hand brakes — more than required by CP practice — then performed a hand brake effectiveness test in which the locomotives shoved the cars; the conductor, seeing the cars behind those with the hand brakes applied did not move, judged that the test was successful. Air brakes were then applied. The next morning, in preparation for switching, a crew began bleeding the air from the cut of 103 cars; when the last of the air was released, the cars began rolling downgrade. Attempts to board the cut to apply additional hand brakes failed because the cars gained speed too quickly. The cut was stopped by a split-switch derail after rolling about 3,200 feet.

The TSB later determined that the hand brake effectiveness test did not allow enough time or force to fully account for the slack in the cut of cars, meaning the test was incomplete and the crew was not aware an insufficient number of hand brakes had been set.

It was the fourth such significant uncontrolled-movement incident at Toronto Yard in five years. As a result, the TSB issued a Rail Safety Advisory Letter to Transport Canada in March 2023 suggesting an audit of CP switching and car securement practices at the yard; Transport Canada inspections led to a notice that prompted CP to issue a revised operating bulletin for securing equipment within the yard, as well as additional training and other safety measures for yard employees.