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Undetected rail flaw caused derailment, hazardous spill

Oct 26, 2007 | Hanneke Brooymans | CanWest News Service

The federal government must set minimum standards for replacement rails like the one that fractured and caused the Wabamun Lake derailment, rail safety investigators said Thursday.

The derailment of a Canadian National freight train on Aug. 3, 2005 spilled about 700,000 litres of Bunker C fuel oil and 88,000 litres of pole-treating oil -- a cancer-causing chemical used to preserve utility poles - into and around the lake.

A detailed investigation by the Transportation Safety Board revealed a 12-metre piece of replacement track, installed in 2003, had defects that went undetected before its installation. The portion of track installed was not of the same hardness as the existing track.

If it had been, the accident likely would not have happened, said George Fowler, a track and infrastructure specialist with the board's investigations branch.

The fractures continued to grow after installation until the rail broke, sending the train tumbling off the tracks.

Ultrasonic tests are the only way to detect fractures beneath the rail's surface. The last ultrasonic test of the rail, on May 10, 2005, didn't show any defects.

The board also called on the federal Department of Transportation to review the adequacy of track testing procedures and set new standards requiring replacement of rails approaching their fatigue limit.

Evidence of the spill can still be found around Wabamun Lake, a popular summer boating and fishing destination 87 kilometres west of Edmonton. Residents who live around the lake say wading in some areas stirs up tar balls and leaves an oily trail floating on the water.

Dave Hardy, who owns a cottage at the lake, said he is always a little worried there could be a repeat accident. But he thinks CN's awareness of the risks is much greater now.

"CN spent an awful lot of money cleaning this up, and I suspect they will not want to see this happen again."

Aside from cleanup costs, the company spent $7.5 million paying property owners around the lake for loss of use.

CN president Hunter Harrison called the board's investigation "thorough."

"I'm pleased to say that CN, as the report notes, has already taken many steps to reduce the risk of recurrence of accidents of this nature, and will continue to do so together with government and industry experts," he said in a statement.