Three train cars filled with grain flipped on their sides March 5, just west of Westlock Terminals.
The cars left the tracks at approximately 3 p.m. that day and CN reports there were no injuries and no hazardous goods involved in the incident.
The CN investigation is currently ongoing, but the incident did occur at a switch, where it is possible for trains to change tracks.
CN crews were on the scene shortly after and remained until the accident was cleaned up.
On March 6, a vacuum truck emptied the cars and removed the spilled grain before the leading car, which was separated from its wheels, was lifted with a crane and transported away via semi truck.
The site was cleaned up March 6, while one car was so badly damaged it had to be lifted with a crane and hauled away.
The other two cars were rolled back over on their wheels.
The accident did cause some disruption to Westlock Terminals operations for the remainder of the week, said facility assistant manager Kirk Walker.
“They were supposed to pull cars that afternoon, that’s what they were in the middle of doing when they derailed cars, so now we’re kind of at a standstill. We’re waiting on them to pull cars still,” he said March 7, two days after the derailment, noting about 70 cars remain to be moved from the site.
“It has definitely caused us a bit of a headache for sure.”
