Broken railroad weakened by road salt behind 2019 train crash, investigators reveal

A Via Rail passenger train derailed in eastern New Brunswick in April 2019 due to a weakened railroad that collapsed under the train, the Canada Transportation Safety Board concluded from its investigation.

No serious injuries resulted from the rails at the Coal Branch, about 40 miles northwest of Moncton, but the independent transport observer is troubled because the dirty corrosion at the crossing in question was not detected in previous inspections.

In its final report on the incident, released Wednesday, the board recommended Transport Canada change its inspection guidelines.

Dennis Church, senior investigator for the railroad and board pipeline, said there may be other low-traffic crossings with compromised rails.

“The possibility exists and we are concerned that there may be consequences of another shin,” he told Church Shift New Brunswick.

The last two train cars traveling between Montreal and Halifax derailed at the Lakeville Road crossing around noon on April 4, 2019. There were 94 passengers and 15 crew members on board, three of whom were assessed for minor injuries on site , said the report.

Salt rail, eroded sand

Investigators determined that the railway network at the crossing was “diluted due to corrosion”, where it could no longer support a train. The net is the thin middle part of the rail that connects the head and the leg.

“During our laboratory analysis, it was found that there was salt and sand that had been transferred from a nearby highway through normal traffic conditions that had deposited inside the crossing structure and continued to erode the railroad,” Church said.

The report said crosswalks naturally retain moisture and road debris and, as such, are more susceptible to corrosion.

Church said there is no regulatory provision under Transport Canada rules for this type of corrosion to be inspected. He said the situation is a rare occurrence as the railway is usually replaced for consumption reasons before serious corrosion occurs.

That may not be the case in low-traffic areas like Lakeville Crossing, he said.

Corrosion at the crossing was also not detected during routine inspections because it was hidden from the crossing surface, the report concluded.

The Transportation Safety Board is recommending Transport Canada change its inspection policies or apply various technologies during inspections that may reveal hidden corrosion.

The report said visual and ultrasonic inspections of the rails at the crossing did not reveal the weakened railway.

CBC News has requested comment from Transport Canada.

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