Major Canadian National Railway Derailment in Alberta Spills Glue

Early this morning, 23 cars of a 114-car Canadian National Railway train derailed near Jarrow, Alberta, spilling an undisclosed volume of liquid adhesive (a.k.a. glue) from one of the derailed cars (Global News, Prince George Citizen, CBC News). According to CN, the other derailed cars were full of gasoline and ethanol residue, both dangerous products.

Jarrow is located between Kinsella and Irma, about 160 km east of Edmonton. CN had to close down its main line between Edmonton and Winnipeg due to the derailment. Highway 14, the main highway through east-central Alberta was also closed down due to clean up crews along the road.

The extent of environmental damage from the spilled glue is not known. Apparently, CN has told the media that the spilled liquid adhesive is a “non-dangerous good”.  To the contrary and according to Dangerous Goods International, liquid adhesives are a Class 3 dangerous good because they are flammable and can cause extensive fires. Liquid adhesives are also toxic.

CN doesn’t know how long it will take to clean up the spilled material and clear the tracks of derailed cars, and says shipments along the main line will be delayed. The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada has sent a staff member to investigate the major derailment.

According to the TSB, Alberta had the highest number of main line train derailments in Canada last year and during the past 5 years.

See CN Railway Derailments, Other Accidents and Incidents for hundreds of other examples of main line, siding and rail yard CN derailments in Canada and the U.S.

~ by railroaded on January 7, 2015.