Section 32.01 of the
Railway Safety Act (RSA) provides the Minister of Transport with the authority to order a company, road authority or municipality to stop any activity that might constitute a threat to safe railway operations or to follow the procedures or take the corrective measures specified the order, including constructing, altering, operating or maintaining a railway work.
On February 4, 2019, a Canadian Pacific Railway Company train, Number 301, was proceeding westward to Vancouver, British Columbia (BC) when the train was brought to a stop on a mountain grade using an emergency brake application. After a period of time, the train began to move and accelerated to a speed in excess of the maximum track speed and derailed. A total of 99 cars and 2 locomotives derailed between the Upper and the Lower Spiral Tunnel near Field, BC (Laggan Subdivision). The train crew on board consisted of a locomotive engineer, a conductor and a conductor trainee; all were fatally injured.
As the exact cause of the accident remains unknown, I find it necessary in the interest of safe railway operation and to prevent further accident in like circumstances, to order, pursuant to section 32.01 of the RSA, all railway companies and local railway companies listed in Appendix B to:
- When a train is stopped by an emergency brake application on a grade of 1.8% or greater (i.e. mountain grade), immediately apply a sufficient number of handbrakes, in accordance with the attached Appendix A, before recharging the air brake system to prevent involuntary movement of the equipment.