Via Rail train evacuated after striking debris near Trenton, Ont.
CBC News | Posted: February 2, 2019 6:22 PM | Last Updated: February 2, 2019
All 150 passengers were transferred to another train
A Via Rail train travelling between Toronto and Ottawa had to be evacuated after it struck debris on the track near Trenton, Ont., Saturday afternoon.
Via Rail said train number 52 was damaged by debris around 10:30 a.m. ET, that caused a fuel leak and damage to windows.
All 150 passengers were transferred to train 62, which is a part of the same train, and would be transported to their final destination by "alternative transportation" from Belleville, Ont., the company said.
'Could have been handled better'
However, passengers like Karina Babeiko were still waiting inside train 62 more than three hours later — and she said they were feeling frustrated.
"This whole situation could have been handled better. They could have provided alternative transport, gotten us out of here. Instead we are still at the site and we're not even halfway through our journey," she said via phone Saturday afternoon.
"People want to call taxis and make it to the nearest Greyhound station, but we are not allowed to do so."
Ottawa-bound passenger YiQing Lü said they had just left Cobourg, Ont., when he felt a bump and saw rocks and pieces of metal smash into the windows along the right side of his car.
He said the two trains were left without heating, ventilation or functioning toilets. A few passengers complained of "minor" nausea because of the stale air, Lü said in an email.
Lü praised Via Rail staff on board for making the experience bearable, although he did say passengers could have been better informed about what was going on.
"In the past few hours, we have been getting multiple 'We shall move in just a few minutes' [messages], but we are still parked at the original spot now," he wrote at around 3:30 p.m.
One hour later, Babeiko and Lü both told CBC News said the train had started moving — roughly six hours after the initial impact.
Safety regulations prevented disembarking
In tweets sent to passengers, Via Rail said safety regulations had prevented people from getting off the train anywhere other than at stations or at designated stops.
The company also said it was waiting for CN Rail, which owns the track, to finish assessing the fuel leak.
Via Rail spokesperson Kaven Delarosbil said part of the reason for the lengthy delay was that there were more repairs needed than originally anticipated.
Some bathrooms weren't working because workers needed to cut air pressure to perform tests, Delarosbil said.
Via Rail and CN Rail are carrying out a joint investigation, he said.
Via Rail did not say what type of debris the train struck. As of 3 p.m. ET, emergency services were still at the scene.
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