The federal Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has found several track deficiencies at the site of the 49-car CN train derailment on July 5 in Repentigny, Que.
The TSB said it has sent a rail safety advisory to Transport Canada to address “the condition of rail anchors on CN’s Joliette subdivision and is intended to inform the regulator of safety deficiencies identified that could pose a risk.”
The TSB team examined the area of the derailment and eight other sections of the track after the CN freight train, travelling 77 kilometres per hour, braked and cars derailed near residences in the suburb northeast of Montreal.
No one was injured, and no dangerous goods were spilled in the area.
CN responds to derailment
In a statement to CTV News, CN says a thermal misalignment of the rail caused the derailment.
“A thermal misalignment occurs when extreme temperatures cause rail to shift out of alignment,” the statement says.
“CN believes that this was caused by the misapplication of the Company’s engineering standards related to rail distressing during the work that was conducted on the level crossing in the spring of 2026. At this stage, CN does not believe speed, train handling and mechanical issues were causes of the derailment.”
The national railway company says the track has been inspected by authorities and that the train movements have been authorized at a restricted speed.
“Additional inspections are also being conducted by CN to closely monitor the track and ensure it continues to perform as expected. CN welcomes further inspections by Transport Canada before any change is made to the current speed restriction,” the statement reads.
Integrity of the tracks
In a July 10 letter to Transport Canada’s director of rail safety, TSB director of rail and pipeline investigations Vincenzo De Angelis wrote that rail anchors were missing or had displaced in a few areas and that several ties were skewed. The rail showed signs of friction from the spikes against the ties, and in some spots, the rails had shifted by as much as almost nine centimetres.
“Missing or displaced rail anchors could lead to a local redistribution of stresses in the rail and reduce the longitudinal and lateral stability of the track, which could increase the risk of derailment due to track buckling,” De Angelis concluded.
He urged Transport Canada to verify the integrity of the tracks and to inform the safety board of what action, if any, will be taken.
De Angelis also noted it was 29 C the day the train derailed. Because of the thermal expansion of rails, trains must reduce their speed by 16 km/h once the temperature hits 30 C.
Repentigny Mayor Nicolas Dufour is calling on Transport Canada to put operations on hold until the necessary repairs are made. Repentigny city council unanimously adopted a motion Tuesday calling on the minister to consider permanently reducing speed limits on freight trains in residential areas.
Transport Canada said in a July 10 news release that it is working with the safety board and that its rail inspectors “are monitoring the railway’s response to ensure all necessary safety measures are in place.”
“We recognize the concern and disruption this incident has caused for the Repentigny community and understand the importance of restoring confidence that the railway is operating safely,” the release says.
Trains running through the area currently have to reduce their speed by about 15 km/h until inspections, testing, and follow-up work are complete, according to Transport Canada.
Dufour said he is relieved to see the safety board handling the case “with great rigour” and transparency.
The TSB investigation is continuing, and teams will “continue to analyze the information collected to identify the factors that caused or contributed to the occurrence, and the safety deficiencies that need to be addressed.” The board says its investigation may result in recommendations to address safety deficiencies.
With files from The Canadian Press
