Investigation continues into collision between B-train and cargo train

FOAM LAKE, Sask. – The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is taking the first steps to determine if an accident between a transport truck and a cargo train will require further investigation.

On June 4, Foam Lake RCMP were called out to a collision that occurred on Highway 16, approximately 2.4 km west of Foam Lake, Saskatchewan. They arrived to find a cargo train partially derailed with eight cars off the tracks.

According to a statement issued by Sergeant M. C. Cleary, with the detachment’s ‘F’ Division Communications Unit, the “investigation thus far has revealed that the empty B-train was southbound on an access road and passed in front of an eastbound CP Rail train. The train hit the semi unit between the two trailers and dragged the vehicle approximately 150-200 yards down the rail line.”

The driver of the semi, a 66-year-old man, did not sustain any serious injuries, but charges are pending against him.

Foam Lake RCMP say “there are no environmental concerns as a result of the collision and the only apparent spill is a small quantity of potash from one of the boxcars.”

Because the collision involved a train, the TSB is looking into the incident. It has sent out an inspector from Winnipeg this morning. He will be responsible for determining if further investigation is needed.

John Cottreau, manager of media relations for the TSB explains what happens when the investigator arrives at the accident scene.

“What he is going to be doing now is gathering as much information from the site, all to be used to make a decision about what our next steps are going to be—whether a full investigation will be required or whether we’ll leave it at the information gathered so far.

“We do that for a couple of reasons. First of all, sometimes when we get to a site, the people that are involved are able to tell us exactly what happened. Now if it sounds like something we have already investigated before, we’re not going to reinvent the wheel, but if it looks like there is something novel or new, or it looks like there has been a breakdown or a malfunction somewhere that we think should be investigated, that’s the decision we will make. That’s how we treat everything that is reported to us.”


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