Trains collide east of Revelstoke
Published: November 1st 2009
Source: By Aaron Orlando - Revelstoke Times Review

Two locomotives, four grain cars and four cars hauling automobiles were damaged and derailed late Friday night after a westbound grain train collided with an eastbound freight train about 100 kilometres east of Revelstoke near Redgrave. No injuries were reported in the accident.

The accident cut of the main rail line for about 24 hours as crews cleaned up the mess, which included damaged cars, damaged freight automobiles and a diesel spill. Service was restored on Saturday evening.

CP Rail spokesperson Breanne Feigel said that no hazardous materials or "regulated commodities" were involved in the crash, and said that there were no environmental concerns arising from the diesel spill. Recovery teams worked to clean up the site. Much of the passing siding near Redgrave is located adjacent to the Columbia River.

When asked to describe the details of the crash, whether it had been a 'head on' or a 'sideswipe', Feigel said she couldn't release more details at this point. "A train that was heading west ... did make contact with part of an eastbound train, and a siding was involved in the incident," she said, adding that the details including the specifics of the crash "would be part of the investigation." A siding is a secondary, often parallel line that is used when trains pass each other, as well as for other purposes.

The Transportation Safety Board is conducting an investigation into the incident, said Feigel. "The important piece here is that we were able to resume operations along the main line of the track there within a 24-hour period, and certainly there was no concern to the community with this incident."

She said she didn't have details as to how many of the cars were destroyed, saying that "most" of the cars were upright, but that some were knocked over. She said she couldn't say if the locomotives and cars were destroyed or if they would be repaired.

Feigel went on to say that the public was not informed of the accident partially due to its remote location. She said that city managers in Revelstoke and Golden were notified, and that efforts are made to notify the public about train accidents if there is a need or concern.

www.teamstersrail.ca