Communiqués

TSB # R 01/99

(For release 19 January 1999)

(Hull, Quebec) - An improperly secured hitch on a highway trailer attached to a Canadian Pacific Railway freight platform allowed the trailer to come loose and shift on 13 August 1997. The train utilized a new technology known as the "Iron Highway", a continuous platform on wheels. The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) report on this accident concluded that as the westbound train proceeded under a highway overpass near Bedell, Ontario, the over-hanging trailer struck the bridge support columns. The trailer was extensively damaged and the highway overpass was closed for several days. No dangerous goods were involved and there were no injuries.

The Board has determined that the trailer became unsecured due to an improperly locked hitch that went unidentified during pre-departure inspections. Employees did not recognize that a slightly protruding or damaged lock indicator pin could render a locking mechanism ineffective. Contributing factors were the design of the hitch locking mechanism, and management's and employees' inexperience in working with the new "Iron Highway" technology.

The rail industry and Transport Canada have taken several safety actions and initiatives after this accident. The Board believes that these measures will improve the safety performance of the "Iron Highway" operation. However, the TSB considers that the risk of a highway trailer on the "Iron Highway" platform becoming disengaged en-route still exists. Considering the speed at which the train operates and the potential weight of the equipment, proper securement of the highway trailers is critical to safe operation. Consequently the Board has recommended that:

The Department of Transport assess the trailer securement system and related safety inspections of the Iron Highway to ensure that the risks associated with the securement of highway trailers are appropriately addressed. [R98-02]

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is an independent agency operating under its own Act of Parliament. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.

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