CP derailment prompts Canada to order train slowdown

Canada's Transport Minister Marc Garneau late last week ordered a 30-day speed limit for trains hauling dangerous goods including crude oil. The order took effect Feb. 7.

Garneau issued the order after a second freight train in two months carrying crude oil derailed in Saskatchewan. The latest involved a Canadian Pacific train that derailed Feb. 6 near Guernsey. The incident caused a fire, which prompted the village to be evacuated because of air quality concerns.

No one on the train was injured, CP officials said in a press release.

Garneau's order requires a slowdown of trains that contain 20 or more cars carrying dangerous goods. In cities, trains are now limited at speeds no faster than 20 mph; in rural areas, trains are limited to 25 mph.

"I have asked my officials to examine all issues related to these accidents to determine if additional safety measures will be required," Garneau said in a press release.

CP President and Chief Executive Officer Keith Creel said the Class I supports the government's action and implemented it immediately.

"Until we better understand the facts relating to [the Feb. 6] incident, it is prudent to operate with an abundance of caution," Creel said. "We equally share Minister Garneau's concerns, and remain committed to safe operations, as we always have been."