Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Emma Humphries

The federal transportation safety watchdog recommended Canadian Pacific Railway adopt more vigorous procedures after a company truck was hit by a train in 2022.

No one was injured in the fiery collision, but the Transportation Safety Board investigation found it was an avoidable incident that came down to a simple safety check.

On the morning of Dec. 29, 2022, a CP Rail track supervisor was inspecting the north and south lines from the cab of a hi-rail pickup truck, starting in Chase.

READ MORE: Judge calls BC builders conduct 'outrageous' after ripping off senior over tiny home

He got multiple "track occupancy permits" on the way, which he used to better inspect or to repair compromised tracks. He submitted them electronically and each on was approved and cancelled by a rail traffic controller, according to the investigation report.

Near the Lafarge river crossing, he noticed a two-inch separation on the south track. He requested a permit to repair the rail gap around 9:20 a.m., expecting the repair to take up to an hour.

At the time, he had active permits for both tracks, which run parallel along the South Thompson River, while the traffic controller didn't know he was preparing for a lengthy repair. The supervisor did tell the traffic controller he would cancel the north track permit to avoid train delays.

But, he spent time looking for a radio charger in the truck, preparing repair tools and calling a coworker to bring the correctly-sized bolts before he remembered to cancel the north track permit. How long it took for him to cancel it isn't clear, but he inadvertently cancelled the south side permit on the company computer program, the same one he and a welder were about to fix.

READ MORE: Osoyoos driver caught with no licence gets reduced sentence so he can drive to work

They started the repair at 9:45 a.m., four minutes before a 3,860-ton train with 113 empty grain cars left Kamloops in their direction.

A message on the radio called out the approaching train on the south track at 10:01 a.m. They didn't hear that, but it was a minute later the welder saw it approaching them. They ran down the embankment to escape the 6,600-foot train.

It slowed from 47 to 28 miles per hour by the time the truck was hit.

The Transportation Safety Board sent a letter to CP in April 2023 after finding the electronic permitting process "less rigorous" than those over the radio. It suggested CP "may wish to consider the need for more stringent verification." CP responded to say it had "implemented several safety actions," which included changes to its electronic process.

Kamloops Fire Rescue doused the burning truck that morning. There was no derailment in the collision.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.

News from © iNFOnews, 2024