GATINEAU, QC, Jan. 24, 2013 /CNW/ -The Transportation Safety Board of
Canada (TSB) released today its investigation report (R11D0099) into
the 9 December 2011 derailment of an Agence Métropolitaine de Transport
(AMT) commuter train, in Montréal, Quebec, citing track conditions and
a heavier locomotive as factors in the derailment.
The AMT commuter train derailed when a locomotive wheel dropped inside
the rail as the train moved around a curve upon arrival in Central
Station. The 1400 passengers on the train were evacuated safely. A
number of factors contributed to the derailment: the TSB investigation
focused on the weight of the locomotive, the track conditions in
Central Station, and the track safety standards for lower classes of
track.
The standards for station tracks are less stringent than for other
tracks in the rail network because trains operate at lower speeds in
stations. In this investigation, the TSB learned that the heavier
passenger locomotive, combined with the existing track conditions,
caused the track to widen despite lower speeds. New locomotives on
Canadian railways are typically heavier, and it is likely there will be
many more operating in the future as commuter rail networks grow and
new equipment is bought. Lower classes of track may not always be up to
the task of carrying these heavy locomotives safely.
"We need to make sure that heavier locomotives can be operated safely on
lower classes of track," said Kathy Fox, TSB Board Member. "That is the
TSB's concern."
The TSB is an independent agency that investigates marine, pipeline,
railway and aviation transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the
advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the
Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.
SOURCE: Transportation Safety Board of Canada
