Early on Monday morning, a train carrying over 100 passengers derailed in Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska, Bas-Saint-Laurent, after colliding with two truck trailers. The incident took place at approximately 1:30 a.m. when a Via Rail train en route from Montreal to Halifax struck two parked 53-foot enclosed truck trailers beside the tracks.
Fortunately, none of the 124 individuals aboard the train or the four occupants of the vehicles connected to the trailers sustained injuries. However, the collision resulted in damage to the front locomotives and several train cars.
Following the derailment, the passengers were escorted to Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska town hall while awaiting assistance from Via Rail. They were able to continue their journey to Halifax later that morning via bus.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the Canadian National Police will spearhead the investigation to uncover the causes and details of the accident.
Via Rail expressed its commitment to collaborating with local authorities and relevant entities to thoroughly investigate the incident and resume normal operations promptly and securely. The company issued a formal apology to affected passengers and assured them of compensation in line with its policies.
The Ministry of the Environment was informed of a diesel spill resulting from the damaged locomotives. Due to the incident’s location on a single-track segment, passengers on another train traveling in the opposite direction, bound for Montreal from Halifax, also had to complete their trip by bus.
