Company says it is 'reviewing the circumstances that led to this situation carefully, and will take the necessary steps to strengthen processes'
Transport Canada has launched an investigation into whether Canadian National (CN) Railway broke federal safety law when a train crew was forced to abandon a locomotive and flee an active wildfire on foot near Armstrong, Ont. earlier this month.
A Transport Canada spokesperson confirmed to SN News Watch that the department is examining whether CN failed to comply with rules under the Railway Safety Act in the rail corridor between Armstrong and Namaygoosisagagun, also known as Collins First Nation, in the July 13 incident.
Spokesperson Hicham Ayoung told the publication that "Transport Canada will not hesitate to implement operational restrictions or protective measures when necessary."
Ayoung added that the department will work with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to determine whether the incident involved any violations of occupational health and safety provisions under the Canada Labour Code, saying "a coordinated approach among federal partners will help to effectively assess regulatory compliance for railway safety and occupational health and safety," per SN News Watch.
Union response
The Teamsters union, which represents the crew, said workers had to abandon the train and flee on foot before requiring treatment for smoke inhalation.
Video of the incident showed a crew member describing conditions after three trains stopped in CN's Allanwater subdivision, about 32 kilometres west of Armstrong, saying the situation had "gotten a little scary … we're encased in flames now."
Teamsters spokesperson Marc-André Gauthier said the union wants clarity on who authorized the trains' movement. "We don't know who decided to send the trains that day, and who kept that line in operation even though the region was ravaged by forest fires. We are, however, determined to get to the bottom of this," Gauthier said, according to SN News Watch.
Earlier, the union blasted CN rail over the incident.
"Make no mistake, this incident should never have happened. CN should never have sent a train down those lines. The company knows exactly how bad the situation is in that region. That fire has been raging for five weeks."
Company statement and operational impact
CN said it is co-operating with federal authorities reviewing the incident and credited the crew with courage, professionalism and sound judgment while facing "an extremely dangerous and challenging situation during the recent wildfires," according to the SN News Watch report.
The railway said it is "reviewing the circumstances that led to this situation carefully, and will take the necessary steps to strengthen processes and ensure the validity of the information provided by our suppliers."
CN has rerouted freight traffic through the United States, via a line running from International Falls, Minn., through Duluth to Sarnia and Windsor, a routing change first reported by the Globe and Mail. Via Rail passenger service on CN's northern line through Northwestern Ontario has also been disrupted by the fires.
CN had earlier said it remains in contact with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and local authorities, adding that employee, community, and emergency responder safety remains its top priority, according to its statement to CBC.
