Broken rail suspected in two fiery Saskatchewan train derailments

GUERNSEY, Sask. — The Transportation Safety Board suspects a broken rail was the cause of two fiery train derailments on the same stretch of track in rural Saskatchewan.

An advisory to Transport Canada posted on the board’s website says investigations continue, but recommends improving safety standards for track infrastructure along key routes.

It says Canadian Pacific Railway maintained the track to its required standard but, even so, a train derailed last December and again in February near Guernsey, southeast of Saskatoon.

An estimated three million litres of crude oil is believed to have spilled in total.

The board says maintaining tracks to the minimum standards may not be enough to prevent derailments.

In response to the February derailment, the federal government ordered lower speed limits for all trains carrying large amounts of dangerous goods.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2020

The Canadian Press