EDMONTON, Alberta — An undetected rail defect led to a Canadian Pacific derailment in September 2019 that saw petroleum products spill from three tank cars, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada has determined.
The Sept. 27, 2019 derailment near Blackfalds, Alberta — approximately 8.4 miles north of Red Deer and 88 miles south of Edmonton — involved a 77-car train with one locomotive at each end. A TSB press release on the report released Monday indicates the derailment occurred because of a sudden rail failure under train caused by “an undetected transfer derail defect.” The train was southbound at approximately 22 mph when the rail failed, derailing nine cars; three of these spilled some of their contents, although no fire or injuries resulted.
The TSB found the rail defect went undetermined despite frequent ultrasonic testing, including a test 30 days before the derailment. The surface condition of the rail contributed to that inability to detect defects, the report said. The rail also had reached a point requiring its replacement for lateral wear
CP subsequently upgraded the track infrastructure in the area of the accident. Transport Canada later issued a ministerial order setting out additional requirements for speed restrictions on higher-risk trains based on temperature, rather than time of year [see “Digest: Transport Canada issues updated rules …,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 23, 2021]. The temperature was minus-1.2 degrees Celsius (about 30 degrees Fahrenheit) at the time of the incident.
I suspect that the cause was misquoted and should be: “an undetected transverse rail defect”.
Correction to my comment should read: “transverse detail defect”. Examining the report, it is clear that the rail was past due for replacement.