Sudbury

Ontario Northland freight train service interrupted after derailment in Hearst

Four freight cars from an Ontario Northland train carrying lumber derailed Friday morning in Hearst.

52-car train was travelling toward Cochrane through Hearst

Freight cars carrying lumber for an Ontario Northland train lay on their side near Fontaine Drive in Hearst on Friday morning. (Francis Bouchard/Radio-Canada)

Four freight cars from an Ontario Northland train carrying lumber derailed Friday morning in Hearst.

The derailment occurred at around 6:45 a.m., said company spokesperson Renee Baker. No injuries were reported.

Highway 11 is now open after it was closed for around 35 minutes following the derailment. The incident happened near the level crossing at Highway 11 and Fontaine Drive.

"Right now it would be a little bit too premature to speculate on the actual cause," said Baker.

"We have crews in place working as quickly and safely as possible to re-rail the equipment, make necessary repairs to the track and inspect it for safety so we can resume our freight service as soon as possible."

The 52-car freight train was travelling eastbound toward Cochrane. Baker said the train wasn't carrying any dangerous goods.

The OPP said the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario is also working to clean up the site.

Traffic was delayed for about 35 minutes on Highway 11. The highway is now re-open, says Ontario Northland and the OPP. No injuries have been reported. (Francis Bouchard/Radio-Canada)

With files from Francis Bouchard of Radio-Canada