(The Toronto Star posted the following article by Kevin McGran on its website on January 23.)
TORONTO — A group of railway industry professionals is calling for Ottawa to conduct an inquiry on rail safety after last week’s train derailment, which killed two women in Whitby.
A Canadian Pacific train jumped the rails and several containers rolled down an embankment, crushing a car and its occupants.
“We take exception to CPR’s remarks about the occurrence in Whitby being a `freak accident,'” said Winston Smith, vice-president of the just-formed group Professionals for Rail Safety Accountability. “They haven’t investigated yet so they don’t know if this was an accident or a preventable occurrence.”
Smith, a Winnipeg-based lawyer who lectures at the University of Manitoba on rail safety, says the group of like-minded railway professionals got together to shine a spotlight on “a disturbing trend” of derailments that raise “concerns about the safety of railway operations in Canada.”
Paul Thurston, spokesman for CP Rail, could not be reached for comment.
Cathy Cossaboom of Transport Canada said the regulatory body would have a statement today.
The deaths of Kathleen Kellachan and her niece, Christine Harrington, were the result of the latest serious derailment in Canada in recent years:
— In McBride, B.C., a timber bridge collapsed under the weight of a Canadian National Railways train, killing two crew members on May 14, 2003.
— Last February, near Belleville, exploding propane tank cars on CPR tracks — including one that was propelled more than a kilometre through the air — resulted in two seriously injured employees.
— In Red Deer, Alta., the derailment of two cars of toxic chemicals on CPR track Feb. 2, 2001, caused one fatality and the evacuation of 1,300 people, 34 of whom were treated in hospital.
“Our concern here is about the deteriorating condition of the railway bed,” said Smith. “The railways will tell you they’re spending a lot of money on upgrading their cars and siding lengths.
“What they’re ignoring in our view is the maintenance and inspection practices. There’s fewer and fewer people out there and fewer inspections taking place.”
Smith said an inquiry should look at whether Transport Canada should regulate railways and conduct maintenance checks, or audit the checks that are now down by the railways themselves.
“Railways have been allowed in the last little while to regulate their own safety,” said Smith. “Do we go back into regulation? Something’s got to happen to force the railways to start concentrating on keeping (the track bed) conditioned to handle the heavier cars, the longer trains and it appears they’re not spending the money to do so.