A day after a CN freight train derailed in the La Gardeur sector of Repentigny, cleanup work and an investigation by federal authorities were underway Monday.
The derailment of 46 railcars happened Sunday afternoon in a residential area.
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Repentigny Mayor Nicolas Dufour said about 200 to 300 people had been evacuated temporarily while police officers and firefighters made sure that there were no dangerous substances in the wreckage from the derailment.
Sunday’s incident came on the eve of the anniversary of Canada’s deadliest derailment in Lac Mégantic, which killed 47 people in 2013.
“We were very lucky in our misfortune,” Dufour said. “Of course, when we heard the words ‘train derailment’ right away, we thought back to what we went through at the Lac Mégantic 13 years ago to the day.”
In a email to CityNews, a spokesperson for CN confirmed “no leaks, fires, or injuries have been reported.”
“Three railcars that had previously carried diesel fuel were involved in the derailment, but they were not loaded at the time of the incident. No railcars carrying hazardous materials were involved, and the precautionary evacuation ordered by the city has been lifted.
CN co”ntinues to work closely with local stakeholders and regulators while crews safely address the remaining derailed railcars.
“CN would like to apologize for the inconvenience resulting from this incident. The cause of the derailment remains under investigation.”
The CityNews team saw several CN crews and vehicles on the site as the cleanup operation was underway.
Dufour said the operation is expected to take several days.
Transportation Board Safety of Canada (TSB) investigators were also onsite Sunday to gather information and assess the incident, a spokesperson told CityNews.
According to Dufour, there had been work on the tracks recently.
“There was some CN railway work a couple of weeks ago on the railroad crossing to move it north,” Dufour said. “Could that be it? Could the heat be causing the rails to expand? Of course, we’re eager to see the findings of the investigation and the resulting recommendations regarding last year’s incidents at federal regional centers.”
CityNews reached out to CN about the maintenance work.
