Saint-Basile derailment caused by track conditions, rail wear: report

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says it was a combination of track conditions and rail wear that caused a westbound CN freight train to derail near Saint-Basile in 2015.

The report on the April 17, 2015 derailment near Edmundston in northwestern New Brunswick was released Tuesday.

The locomotive and 35 rail cars derailed at Mile 212.8 on the Napadogan Subdivision. About 900 feet of main track was destroyed.

Of the 35 rail cars, 20 were residue tank cars that had last contained crude oil.

"The investigation determined that significant wear on the rail had resulted in the wheel contact shifting outward, which reduced the rail's lateral stability. In addition, as the train was negotiating the curve, track conditions and the curve elevation condition combined to increase lateral forces on the rail, leading to the train's derailment." the report states.

TSB investigators noted there were no clear criteria for addressing combination defects (more than one defect occurring within 100 feet of track) that could pose a threat to safe rail operations. They said this could increase the risk that unsafe combinations of track conditions that could be missed or remain unaddressed during track inspections.

There were no injuries during the derailment.