Canadian government imposes safety requirements on CN

Canadian government imposes safety requirements on CN    Transport Canada has imposed safety requirements upon Canadian National Railway Co.’s northbound trains in the Squamish area for a 60-day trial period.
   The decision follows a series of derailments of CN trains traveling north between Squamish and Clinton in British Columbia.
   CN has provided Transport Canada with a safety action plan to test and demonstrate that its distributed power operated trains can be operated safely on the Squamish route. Based on that action plan, Transport Canada has ordered: restrictions on how empty cars are handled, tests throughout the route to verify distributed power is working properly, a CN supervisor on all trains to augment crews, additional training for crews on distributed power operations, directions to help reduce the number of stops on route and special stall and emergency stop instructions. The length of CN’s conventional trains and distributed power operated trains operating northbound in the Squamish area will be restricted to 80 cars and 99 cars, respectively.
   “During this trial period CN will have to abide by a strict set of safety requirements to help ensure they can operate safely in the Squamish area,” said Jean-C. Lapierre, Canada’s Transport Minister. “If these requirements are not respected, Transport Canada will impose further restrictions and may take legal action pursuant to the Railway Safety Act,” added Lapierre.
   Transport Canada inspectors will be monitoring trains on the Squamish route to check CN’s corrective action plan and to ensure full compliance with the Railway Safety Act.