TSB Releases Rail Transportation Safety Investigation Report on CN Derailment
Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor
Screen capture from report
TSB
DEVLIN, Ontario - The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) issued rail transportation safety investigation report R25W0047.
The report details an incident that occurred on June 28, 2025 in which a CN unit grain train was headed east at 41 mph on the Fort Frances Subdivision when a train-initiated emergency air brake application occurred. During an inspection, crew found that 13 hopper cars had derailed. No injuries were reported. On June 26, 2025, a track inspection performed via hi-rail vehicle found no defects.
In July 2025, the TSB states in the report it examined the track and noted signs of rail creep. The report (below) states at Mile 101.8, “anchors had been repositioned by up to 4 inches . . . during repairs conducted after the derailment.” In the adjacent siding, the track also showed signs of rail creep. All displacements on the main track were observed in the eastward direction, “indicting that the rail creep was in the direction of the heavy tonnage traffic.” The report also states instances of track buckling caused by weakened track conditions, elevated compressive rail forces, and train dynamic forces were present near Mile 101.1. Several weeks before the June 28, 2025 incident, track buckling was also noted on the subdivision that resulted in an 11-car derailment.
The TSB sent a Rail Transportation Safety Information Letter to Transport Canada on October 16, 2025 that indicated that TC “may wish to consider reviewing CN’s track inspection and maintenance practices on the Fort Frances Subdivision, particularly those related to rail distressing, securement, and movement, to ensure that rail is distressed in a timely fashion.” On December 4, TC stated it would conduct a track inspection of the subdivision in 2026.
