OTTAWA, Ontario — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada yesterday urged Transport Canada to immediately implement interim measures to prevent train collisions while an enhanced train control system is being developed.
The recommendation was made as part of the TSB’s report on a November 2023 collision between Canadian National locomotives and an Exo commuter train in Montreal.
The TSB investigation found that the CN train crew had passed a restricting signal requiring them to limit their speed to 15 mph and be prepared to stop. Instead, the light locomotives accelerated to 41 mph and were unable to stop once the stationary commuter train became visible from just 500 feet away.
The CN locomotives were moving at 32 mph when they struck the commuter train, injuring four passengers and two of the Exo train’s crew members. The CN crew was not hurt.
“This collision is a stark reminder that relying solely on human performance leaves Canada’s railways vulnerable,” Yoan Marier, Chair of the TSB, said in a statement. “While permanent fail-safe defenses are still years away, interim protections can and must be implemented now to safeguard passengers, crews, and communities.”
The TSB first recommended in 2000 that Transport Canada require railroads to deploy enhanced train control, or ETC. Subsequent recommendations were made in 2013 and 2022.
Transport Canada in February 2022 issued a notice of intent indicating that it would require Canada’s most at-risk corridors to be equipped with ETC.
“Although several initiatives and projects were launched to design and develop such a system in Canada, few meaningful steps have been taken,” the TSB said.
Last year the TSB sent a letter to the minister of transport, urging accelerated deployment of ETC on Canada’s passenger rail corridors and other key routes across the country. “As of the release of this report, the TSB had not received a response,” the TSB said.
ETC also can prevent trains from operating over track speed, from entering work blocks, and approaching switches that are fouling the main line.
CN said it learns from each accident and applies those lessons to its operations.
“CN remains in collaboration with Transport Canada on the longer-term issues such as the implementation of Enhanced Train Control as well as greater access to Locomotive Voice Video Recording footage,” spokeswoman Michelle Hannan said in an email. “Safety is a core value at CN, and we continue to adopt best practices when it comes to the safety of our employees, the goods transported and the communities through which we operate.”
