OTTAWA, Ontario — VIA Rail Canada says it will work with the National Council of Canadian Muslims to improve its diversity training following an incident in which a Muslim man was told by a security guard not to pray at VIA’s Ottawa station. In a press release, the passenger operator said it had met with […]
Zone & Region: Canada
Failure of soft subgrade led to 2020 CP grain train derailment, TSB says in accident report
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — A track subgrade consisting of soft, saturated peat with poor drainage likely led to a sudden failure of that subgrade, triggering a derailment of 53 cars of a Canadian Pacific grain train near Ignace, Ontario, in May 2020, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada indicated in an accident report released Tuesday. Operating […]
VIA Rail Canada apologizes after Muslim man told not to pray at Ottawa station
OTTAWA, Ontario — VIA Rail Canada has apologized to a Muslim man and “the entire Muslim community” after an incident Monday in which the man was told he could not pray at the station in Canada’s capital city. CTV News reports that the Toronto man was waiting for a delayed bus. He told the news organization […]
‘Adirondack’ tickets now on sale for service beginning April 3
NEW YORK — Following intense pressure from New York politicians, Amtrak has started selling tickets for travel on the New York-Montreal Adirondack, which will resume operation April 3 northbound and April 4 southbound. Ticket sales began Monday, March 20. It is the last route to be reinstated following widespread suspensions that took place in March […]
Canadian National, Unifor reach tentative contract agreements
MONTREAL — Canadian National Railway and two Unifor unions, Local 100 and Council 4000, have reached tentative agreements, the railroad and Unifor announced Monday, averting a possible strike. The agreements cover approximately 3,000 CN employees in mechanical, intermodal, facility management, and clerical positions across Canada, the railroad said. Local 100 represents the mechanical workers and […]
Canadian government to provide $23 million for expansion of transload facility
SURREY, British Columbia — The Canadian government will provide up to C$23 million in funding to expand an agricultural shipping terminal near the U.S. border, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced Friday. Money provided from the National Trade Corridors Fund will expand rail capacity at Global Agricultural Trans-Loading in Surrey, B.C., by helping to pay for […]
CP, Canadian maintenance workers reach contract agreement
CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific has reached a tentative agreement with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference Maintenance-of-Way Employees Division, the railroad said today (March 17). The new contract will cover approximately 2,600 workers. Details will not be released until the agreement is ratified. “By working collaboratively with our valued union partners, we’ve reached another negotiated […]
Canadian government to help fund Winnipeg-area rail industrial park
ROSSER, Manitoba — The Canadian government will contribute up to C$18 million toward development of a rail-served industrial park near Winnipeg, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced Wednesday. Funds for the CentrePort Canada project will help pay for an additional switch connecting to the adjacent Canadian Pacific main line, several kilometers of track within the park, […]
BC government to fund further study of Vancouver Island rail line; some land to be returned to First Nations group
VICTORIA, British Columbia — The British Columbia government will spend C$18 million on planning for a possible resurrection of rail service on the former Esquimalt & Nanaimo line on Vancouver Island, beating by a day a court-ordered deadline to declare intentions for the long-dormant rail line but pushing an ultimate decision farther into the future. […]
Amtrak to resume Adirondack service in April, U.S. senators say
ALBANY, N.Y. — Amtrak’s long-idle New York-Montreal Adirondack service — the only train still not running after being suspended by the passenger operator at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic — will resume operation in April, according to New York’s two U.S. senators. U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand made the announcement Friday afternoon, […]
Lac-Mégantic bypass opponents ask for environmental impact study
MONTREAL — Residents of the area near the planned Lac-Mégantic bypass, as well as environmental groups, are asking the Canadian government for an environmental impact study of the planned bypass route, citing concerns on drinking water resources and wetlands. The Canadian Press reports the groups and individuals have made the request in a letter to […]
Meet the Modeler: Longtime CTT author Peter Riddle
CTT author Peter Riddle has been a fixture in the magazine over the years, and now on Trains.com. He has also authored a number of books and is proof a love of toy trains can truly last a lifetime. We’ve asked him a few questions. My first train set (or locomotive) was…? It’s likely that […]