Train hits debris on railway, cause diesel spill near Agassiz

VIA Rail passengers had their plans derailed on Friday when their train was damaged after hitting debris near Agassiz, B.C.

Dawn Bates was on board the dining car when she suddenly heard loud bangs and felt the train “violently shake.” 

“The look of fear on the [VIA Rail employee’s] face was quite disconcerting,” said Bates, who was travelling to Churchill, Man., to see the Northern Lights. The train had been travelling from Vancouver to Toronto. 

“It was really quite scary and there was a very strong smell of diesel and of burning and we came to a standstill.”

In a statement, VIA Rail confirmed the train’s engine and some cars were damaged after striking debris on the tracks.

“None of the 121 passengers or crew members on board were injured in the incident, but the damage caused a fuel leak, and the train was not able to proceed,” it said, adding Agassiz RCMP and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) police were investigating the incident. 

The statement says the leak spilled onto the railway owned by CPKC Limited — which manages a railway network that runs through Canada, the U.S. and Mexico — and is being assessed by CPKC environmental teams for damage and cleanup. 

Bates says VIA Rail has gone above and beyond to help shaken passengers following the incident, but she hopes more information can be made readily available for people waiting to get to their final locations.

“Everybody at VIA Rail that I’ve dealt with and I’ve spoken with, I really do feel that they need good commendation and they handled it so well,” she said.

Neither RCMP, VIA Rail nor CPKC were able to share details with CBC News on what the debris was or if it had been intentionally left there.

A Provincial Health Services Authority spokesperson said first responders attended the scene, but that no one required medical attention. 

Diesel spill concerns

The Seabird Island Band Administration and Emergency Management released a community advisory following the incident, stating no one was hurt and that there is no imminent danger to the community. 

The advisory asks residents near Lougheed Highway “between Seabird Island Road and the Gasbar” to avoid using water until it’s confirmed local wells are unaffected by the diesel spill. 

Residents are also advised to reach out to the Seabird Island Band’s emergency preparedness co-ordinator if they smell diesel in their water. 

“Local administrative staff, Seabird Island Fire Department, Canadian Pacific Police, Environment Public Health and First Nations Health Authority are involved … Cleanup [of the spill] has begun and will continue until concluded,” it said. 

CPKC was not able to confirm how much diesel was spilled and if there are any concerns to the local environment and community. 

CBC News has also reached out to Transport Canada and the Transportation Safety Board.

‘People came together’

Bates says passengers exited the train around 1:20 a.m. on Saturday and got on coach buses arranged by VIA Rail headed toward Vancouver, Jasper or Kamloops. 

“Some of us that were going further than Jasper and [Kamloops] have been brought back here [to Vancouver],” said Bates, adding VIA Rail told passengers it would contact them to arrange alternative travel to their final destinations.

She says passengers in Vancouver have been put up at hotels in the meantime.

She also says she’s waiting for her call to confirm travel to Churchill, but in the meantime, she’s deciding whether to keep her plans or cancel them.

“We’re not really hearing much, but then they’ve got a lot of people to deal with … the logistical nightmare that they’ve got,” she said. 

“It’s not just us that were on the train, it is those getting off and getting on the train at further stops. It’s the impact of other trains.”

Bates adds the camaraderie of the passengers and employees made time fly while they waited before leaving the train.

“People came together,” she said.

“You started talking to people that you haven’t spoken to on the train before … friendships will be made from this.”