Canada’s Deadly Rail

Poor Regulations and powerful lobbying groups creating a time bomb for Canadians.

In 2013 a freight train crashed in Lac Megantic Quebec, killing 47 people it was the deadliest accident in North America. One of the deadliest rail accidents world-wide. And it is almost certain to happen again.

In 2015 Transport Canada found 115 faults in the same line. Central Maine and Quebec Railway who now own the lines were served with a notice to increase their own scans and repair the rails.

Last year Transport Canada re-evaluated the line. Finding 253 faults, and "superficial" repairs. Transport Canada issued the company with a formal warning to increase tests and repair the line.

This is the same stretch of ill maintained line that 8 years ago caused the death of 47 people.

This shouldn’t be a surprise given that the legal response to a company killing 47 people through negligence was nothing. Three people were charged. An engineer, traffic controller, and operations manager. All were acquitted.

No charges were brought against any senior executives at a company that was blatantly flaunting safety regulations. Facing CAD 200 million in damages the company would file for bankruptcy and pay 0.

But to be fair who could have seen Lac Megantic coming?

Executives for Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railways who operated the trains at the time denied any wrong doing claiming no one could have seen the accident coming.

Yet in the months leading up to the accident a local newspaper reported on rotted rail bindings. A train would spill 13’000 gallons of oil just north of the city due to derailment caused by poorly maintained lines. And the companies lines in Maine were so poorly maintained that trains were limited to traveling at 16km/h in parts.

Instead of repairing lines the company began abandoning hundreds of kilometres. During the companies last years in operation, its Maine and Quebec lines were the most accident-prone in North America.

These same lines would be taken over by the Central Maine and Quebec Railways. Same lines. Same trains. Same problems.

In August 2015 15 box cars derailed in Farnham Quebec. Transport Canada has repeatedly warned the company about the dangerous conditions of its lines. The company was ordered to self-police. Yet in that time faults and derailments have increased. It has now sold the accident-prone line to Canada Pacifica.

A private company who have promised to maintain safe lines. Under it's tenure, faults in lines have doubled.

Transport Canada claims that the companies are responsible, have dealt with the problems, and that they conduct 30’000 inspections of lines annually. Which raises the question. Where were these checks in the lead up to 2013? If they conduct so many how did the faults in the lac Megantic line double between 2015 and 2019? And if they are “taking appropriate actions” why are the freight companies completely ignoring them?

It may surprise Canadians to learn that Canadian rail is some of the most dangerous rail in the world and has been for decades. It will probably surprise them less that Viarail is one of the slowest networks on the planet with an average delay of five hours. And what has been the response? Less funding for rail. Further downsizing of Viarail. More corners cut by Canada’s rail companies. More accidents.

Accidents are a constant in Canada. Derailments happen almost daily. But these mostly happen outside towns so freight companies can pretend everything is fine. Until one of their trains inevitably derails in a town. Or in a nature reserve.

And what has the government done? Has it forced freight companies to build more rail lines? Has it levelled huge fines against these companies? Has it put people in jail? No, no, no, and other than innocent engineers it hasn’t even tried?

Why? Because there is no glory in repairing train lines. It would be expensive, and no one would notice. And freight companies would whine and buy attack ads instead of fixing their lines.

So, for thirty years no politicians has had the guts to stand up and actually fight for rail reform.

And for thirty years death tolls have climbed injuries have climbed, accidents have climbed. And as yet another government passes the buck on rail to the next the odds of another Lac Megantic climb ever higher.