‘Fracture defects,’ worn rails blamed for Sturgeon County train derailment

A train derailment near Sturgeon County in late October was caused by “fracture defects” that had been identified one month earlier during an inspection, a Transportation Safety Board statement says.

Twelve loaded cars derailed while travelling south at 1:30 p.m., Oct. 22, just north of the Campbell Park Station.

Four cars ended up on their sides, while eight cars were left in an accordion position.

Two tank cars were confirmed to have leaked between 50 and 100 litres of petroleum crude oil.

The train was travelling at 34 km/h when it derailed.

A rail safety advisory letter addressed to the Canadian National Railway Co.

It was posted on the TSB’s website Friday and stated: “CN’s inspection protocols had identified the condition of the high rail, which had reached condemning limits. However, the identified section of rail had not yet been replaced.”

Unlike the light, low-density, very flammable crude oil involved in the Lac-Mégantic disaster in 2013, the “crude oil involved in this derailment was a heavy, tarlike substance that presented a lower risk to public safety.”

The letter said that track geometry testing carried out Sept. 18 indicated that in the vicinity of the derailment, the curve in the rail had “exceeded its rail wear limits” and that testing “also revealed priority wide-gauge defects in the curve” and a bolt hole defect.

“CN may wish to review the timeliness of the replacement of identified worn and/or fatigued rails on secondary lines where dangerous goods are transported,” the letter continued.

In an emailed response, CN said the crash was unfortunate and “we are sorry for the impact it had on residents in the area.”

“The rail was scheduled to be replaced ... and that work was completed immediately after the incident,” the statement stated.