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Communities Along CN Lines Need Safety Assurances

By Peter Ewart

-By Peter Ewart

Still another CN Rail train has derailed; this time near Hixon on Friday, August 19.

According to CN, this was the fifth accident involving company trains this month in BC and Alberta. On August 3, a CN train derailed near Wabumun Lake, Alberta, spilling over 700,000 litres of bunker fuel and environmentally toxic tree treating oil into Lake Wabumun, resulting in a oil slick over 8 kilometres in length. Several days later, another CN train went off the tracks north of Vancouver, pouring over 40,000 litres of highly corrosive sodium hydroxide into the Cheakamus River, polluting the watershed and killing thousands of fish.

In both the Wabamun Lake and Cheakamus derailments, there were widespread complaints from residents affected by the spills about lack of notification, as well as unnecessary cleanup delays. For example, in Wabunum Lake, residents were not informed by CN about the presence of toxic tree treating oil in lake and ground water until five days after the spill. CN has since apologized for its handling of the incident.

Other recent CN derailments include one caused by a mudslide near Boston Bar and a collision near Edmonton between a CN train and a garbage truck, causing the death of one person.

In this region, in July, another derailment took place on the CN line near Takla Lake, spilling traincar loads of logs into the lake. Again, some residents criticized CN for not acting in a timely and effective manner regarding the spill. For its part, CN claims that it acted “quickly to stabilize the derailment’s effect on the lake” (Citizen, July 25).

Employees and union officials claim that this latest rash of derailments is directly related to the privatization of CN (and more recently BC Rail), which has resulted in massive layoffs, longer trains, decreased maintenance, and fewer inspectors. “It’s absolutely atrocious what’s happened to CN in the last 20 years”, says Mike Melymick who is an official with the United Transportation Union (Edmonton Sun – Aug. 11).

Since BC Rail was sold to CN in 2004, former BC Rail employees are complaining that a very different maintenance and safety culture has taken over, one that they fear will only lead to more accidents. According to one employee, “CN does not even maintain track even close to the standards that were maintained by BC Rail.”

For its part, CN dismisses such criticisms and argues that it runs the safest railway in North America. According to Graham Dallas, CN spokesperson, CN’s number of reportable accidents “has dropped by 20 per cent from last year” (Canadian Press – Aug. 10).

However, there are signs that it is not only the rail unions who are becoming concerned about rail safety. David Jeanes, president of Transport 2000, a non-profit group that studies transportation issues, suggests that the increase of derailments in Canada may be caused by an overemphasis by the rail companies “on the bottom line” (Toronto Star – Aug. 12).

And an editorial in the Toronto Star is headlined “Get railway safety back on the tracks”. It goes on to say that “public outrage over the accidents is understandable … and unless steps are taken soon to deal with the growing problem, the chances of a major environment disaster, or loss of life, may be inevitable” (Toronto Star – Aug. 12).

In the wake of the recent derailments, rail unions have sent a letter to the federal transport minister calling for a comprehensive review of “CN’s maintenance, repair and inspection practices” (Canadian Press – Aug. 10).

They may well have a point. How will the federal government respond to the unions’ call? Hopefully, we will not have to wait too long. The hundreds of communities along CN’s rail lines need some assurance. 



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