CP Railway adjusts safety measures following B.C. train crash: safety board

The Transportation Safety Board says a mistake by a Canadian Pacific Railway supervisor set off a crash between a freight train and a railway work vehicle in Cache Creek, B.C.

The board's report says the supervisor was inspecting the main tracks on Dec. 29, 2022, in a vehicle that can operate on both roads and rail when he noticed a defect that needed repair.

It says that while the man was repairing the track, an eastbound freight train crashed into the unoccupied vehicle, but no one was hurt.

The board says that its investigation found when the supervisor noticed the problem, he requested a second permit allowing him to be on the tracks, but he cancelled the wrong permission, leaving the track he was working on unprotected.

The board says it issued a safety advisory to CP Rail, saying its verification procedures for cancelling electronic track occupancy permits were "less rigorous" than using their radio to cancel a permit.

The board says the railway has confirmed it had implemented safety changes, including enhancing its electronic application for such permits.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.