GATINEAU, Quebec — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has issued a safety advisory letter in response to two incidents in which VIA Rail Canada trains were damaged by materials placed along Canadian National’s right-of-way in preparation for track work.
The letter, dated March 25 but announced Thursday, suggests “Canadian National, in conjunction with VIA, may wish to conduct a risk assessment to identify and implement appropriate measures to ensure that VIA trains can travel safely through locations where track materials are placed between the rails in preparation for track work.”
The first incident occurred Feb. 2 near Brighton, Ontario, when combined trains 52 (Toronto-Ottawa) and 62 (Toronto-Montreal), traveling at approximately 95 mph, was damaged by tie plates that had been placed between the rails in advance of track work the following day. Debris from that incident also seriously injured a CN employee in a hi-rail vehicle parked near the track, while one locomotive’s fuel tank was punctured, spilling about 1,600 gallons of diesel fuel.
The second incident occurred March 20, near Truro, Nova Scotia, when VIA’s westbound Ocean was damaged by materials, including tie plates, placed between the rails prior to track work scheduled for the following day. The second locomotive in the two-engine, 14-car consist lost the contents of its fuel tank as a result of the damage, and car windows were broken, but there were no injuries.
I talked with folks from the TSB of Canada about this two weeks ago. What is happening is that tie plates are placed on ties between the rails by gangs changing out rail and plates, or replacing ties. The tie plates are upside down for quick installation, meaning the plate is not fully flat against the tie. As the train passes over at speed, the blast of air from the low cars is enough to pick up one side of the tie plate, which then hits the bottom of the passenger cars and starts rolling, picking up more tie plates. Placing the tie plates in advance is a regular practice, but it is the speed and equipment that is apparently causing the problems.
Unlikely. The locations are in different, non-adjacent Provinces. To put it in US geography terms, Brighton is north of Syracuse, NY and Truro is north-east of Maine at the end of the Bay of Fundy.
Could the same track maintenance crew or supervisor be involved in both incidents?
Thank you for that explanation Mr. Jennings, as I had visions of piles of plates piled up inside
the track gage. NS has the same practice of laying out plates ahead of changing rail, however, the plates are laid at the ends of the ties, on the field side of the gage.
Richard Pack….why would you run slower speeds on track designed for the speed they run at, instead they’ll have to either not place the tie plates down upside down, or wait until closer to replacement work…slowing the train down unnecessarily is counter productive.
They should run slower speeds like the US does . Ho Hum .