Latest CN Derailment Sparks Inquiry Call

Tuesday, September 18, 2007 03:56 AM

The latest derailment involving CN has sparked a call for a public inquiry.

NDP MLA Maurine Karagianis, the opposition transportation critic says the latest derailment calls for action "I think it is time for the government to take some serious steps (and launch) a full public inquiry into the safety practices of CN Rail,"

This is the third derailment involving CN in northern B.C. in the last six weeks.

This latest accident involved a westbound grain train heading to the Ridley grain terminal. 29 grain filled cars went off the tracks about 30 miles east of Terrace on the main line which will service the new Prince Rupert Port. The line is expected to be reopened this morning,

On Aug. 21, 10 empty rail cars jumped the CN tracks in Quesnel. No one hurt.

August 4th, two trains collided , derailed and burned on the east side of the Fraser River in Prince George.

"The safety practices of CN Rail, I think at this point, need a full, public investigation," said Karagianis.

Speaking to Prince George City Council last night, the Senior Vice President for the Western Region Jim Vena says accidents are actually down from the same period in 2006. In 2006 there were 374, during the same period this year the number is down to 312.

There is growing concern about the increased rail traffic especially since the Prince Rupert Port and intermodal site in Prince George will increase that activity.

Provincial Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon is in Japan and not able to comment on the call for a public inquiry.

Opinion 250 has posted an opinion poll question on this matter, results will be released next week.

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Posted on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 03:56 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Andyfreeze on September 18 2007 8:57 AM

Will not happen, even though it should be done!
Too many questions will be asked and too much focus on the Campbell government and CN in general in regards to the whole deal!
Safety is only part of the big picture.

Posted by: Gofaster on September 18 2007 9:23 AM

It is about time something be done.
Way too many derails.
I know of no other transportation business that could have this many problems and continue to operate without an investigation.
Is it the loads are too long, too heavy, problems with the rails, or the rail bed, carelessness, sabotage, neglect or is it a combination of more than one of them.
What ever the cause something should be done now, before the typcial answer of "no harm no foul, no one hurt no environmental damage", can no longer be used.
I hope that never happens.....

Posted by: BC Mary on September 18 2007 10:41 AM

I think you must be right, Andyfreeze.

The way the Basi Virk Basi / B.C. Rail case is being handled tells us so.

B.C. seems to be in an information lock-down. Today's three big CanWest pro-Campbell newspapers had front-page colour photos of The beetle (Vancouver Sun), the bears (The Province), and a rabbit (Victoria Times Colonist) with minimal, almost hidden reports on yesterday's B.C. Rail hearing in Supreme Court.

Google Alert, however, popped a CP story onto my screen and what a surprise! It had real data. Even mentioned the public's right to know! As a British Columbian, it kinda made me cross. So CanWest supports Campbell. Fine. But couldn't they also provide the news? Is the B.C. news that bad, they don't dare tell people??

Thanks to NEWS 250 and OPINION 250 for making up the democratic deficit. I'm doing my best to help, too, at:

The Legislature Raids
[url]http://bctrialofbasi-virk.blogspot.com/
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.