A freight train derailment near Paris, Ont. has disrupted VIA Rail service along the Windsor–Toronto corridor.
The derailment involved a Canadian National Railway (CN) freight train. CN owns and operates the rail infrastructure affected — which is also used by VIA Rail passenger trains.
In a statement, VIA Rail called it “an incident beyond our control” and said it is causing “significant service disruptions.”
The rail provider has cancelled three Windsor–Toronto trains — numbers 73, 76 and 78 — with no alternate transportation provided.
Other trains, including 75, 79 and 82, are still running but are being detoured through Guelph.
VIA says bus service is covering missed stops along the regular route.
“VIA Rail sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience caused by this situation,” the statement reads, encouraging passengers to check for real-time train status updates online.
In a statement to CTV News, CN Spokesperson Michelle Hannan wrote, “CN crews are responding to the upright derailment of approximately 24 railcars and one locomotive in Paris, Ontario. There are no reports of injuries, leaks, spills or fires, and no crossings are blocked. The cause of the incident is under investigation. The public is asked to avoid the area to allow crews to safely complete their work. CN thanks first responders for their assistance and apologizes for any inconvenience caused by this incident.”
The Transportation Safety Board has sent a team to the scene and will be looking into what happened.
