Passenger train came within 335 metres of head-on collision near Cornwall: TSB

A Via Rail train carrying 167 passengers came within 335 metres of a head-on collision with a freight train near Cornwall, Ont., in April 2023, according to a Transportation Safety Board of Canada report that calls on the government to implement physical fail-safe defences for trains.

According to the report, released on Wednesday, on April 13, 2023, the crew of a Canadian National (CN) freight train missed a "Clear to Stop" signal indicating they should prepare to stop at the next signal. 

As the train — including 16 cars loaded with dangerous goods — approached a stop signal at Wesco, near Cornwall, Ont., the crew made an emergency stop, applying the air brakes and issuing an emergency radio broadcast.

A Via Rail passenger train travelling from Montreal to Toronto heard the emergency broadcast while approaching on the same track and was able to stop about 335 metres from the CN train.

While there were no injuries, the near-collision was referred to the TSB, an independent federal agency tasked with investigating incidents involving air, marine, pipeline and rail transportation.

The subsequent investigation determined that "the CN train crew was focused on preparing for future tasks which divided their attention from the primary task of following railway signal indications, resulting in the missed Clear to Stop indication."

Earlier in the journey, the CN crew had had to stop to make temporary repairs to a separated air hose on one of the cars in the train. Their managers decided that the affected car should be removed from the train at the next suitable location.

The crew members were consulting their tablets and discussing the best place to detach the car when the train passed the signal. 

'There's no sense of urgency'

Following its investigation, the TSB sent a letter to the minister of transport warning of the absence of physical fail-safe defences for trains operating in Canada.

"Given the risk to train crews and the travelling public, the TSB strongly urges Transport Canada and the railway industry to accelerate the implementation of physical fail-safe train controls on high-speed rail corridors and key routes in Canada," the TSB said in a release highlighting its investigative report.

"Even though the TSB has been calling for this for almost 25 years, the Canadian railway industry continues to rely solely on administrative defences to protect against train crews not responding appropriately to signal indications," the TSB said.

"However, human factors science shows, and the TSB has demonstrated in multiple investigation reports, that the current defences in place are not enough to prevent adverse outcomes."

Since 2020, physical fail-safe controls have been in operation for all trains operating on high-hazard routes in the United States.

Known as Positive Train Control, the system automatically slows or stops a train when a crew does not respond to signals. The system is designed to prevent collisions, derailments and trains crossing switches left in the wrong position. 

"We are basically 10 years behind [the United States] and there's no sense of urgency," said Ian Naish, a former director of rail investigations with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. 

Transport Minister Anita Anand did not respond to concerns raised by the TSB, the agency said. 

CBC has asked Transport Canada for comment.