Coal-carrying rail cars derail in Burnaby

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BURNABY (NEWS1130) – Seven CP train cars -operated by a CN crew – and carrying coal have jumped the tracks in Burnaby, with three of them tipped over onto their sides.

The accident happened where the tracks parallel Government St. at Brighton Ave., just metres away from the Brunette River, northeast of Burnaby Lake.

Nick Kvenich with the Eagle Creek Streamkeepers came down to take a look as soon as he heard the news and fears Silver Creek could be contaminated. Silver Creek feeds into Burnaby Lake, which drains into the Brunette.

“It could have a big impact, especially if there is a lot of coal dust getting into the creek, and migrating. So there might be an impact on resident cutthroat trout and crayfish,” he says.

He hopes CP will take measures to establish a perimeter around the cars before seepage happens.

Ken Widmer lives nearby and is also concerned about the area’s sensitive ecosystem.

“The rail tracks are on a bog. All that water runs into the salmon spawning area that people have worked so hard to restore. It’s a scary thought.”

Kevin Washbrook with Voters Taking Action on Climate Change feels the incident is a wake-up call to limit rail expansion at Port Metro Vancouver.

“The port authority has the absolute power to approve these expansion plans. But they don’t acknowledge that expansion comes at a cost to the surrounding communities, like train derailments, diesel exhaust, increased noise and coal dust.”

The train carrying metallurgical coal was headed west to the Neptune Terminals in North Vancouver.

No one was hurt, and no property was damaged.

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