A Via Rail passenger train derailed in eastern Quebec in the early hours of Monday morning following a collision with two parked tractor trailers, provincial police confirmed. Remarkably, no injuries were reported among the 124 passengers and crew on board or the individuals in the trucks.
Early Morning Collision Near the Tracks
The incident occurred at approximately 1:35 a.m. near the town of St-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region. According to Sûreté du Québec spokesperson Frédéric Deshaies, the train struck the rear ends of two tractor trailers that were reportedly parked too close to the railway tracks.
The impact was significant enough to cause two of the train's locomotives to derail. Despite the derailment and the force of the collision, authorities confirmed that there were no injuries. The four people occupying the two trucks at the time of the incident were also unharmed.
Emergency Response and Investigation Launched
In the aftermath of the derailment, first responders moved everyone involved to the local town hall to keep warm while the scene was secured. The event has triggered a multi-agency investigation to determine the exact cause and circumstances.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) will lead the probe into the derailment itself. Concurrently, CN police are involved in the investigation. An additional environmental concern arose from a spill of diesel fuel from one of the locomotives, which will be examined by provincial environment officials.
Safety and Cleanup Efforts Underway
The derailment underscores ongoing concerns about safety near railway corridors. The fact that the trucks were parked close to the tracks will be a central focus of the investigation. The successful evacuation and lack of serious injuries highlight the effectiveness of the emergency response.
Cleanup operations at the site are expected to continue as investigators work to piece together the events leading up to the 1:35 a.m. collision. Via Rail has not yet released a statement regarding potential service disruptions or the status of the passengers following the incident.
