2020 Guernsey Derailment

Aerial view of the accident site (Source: CP)

2024-07-29

Since the Fund’s creation in 2016, we monitor railway accidents involving crude oil. This includes the 2020 derailment near Guernsey, Saskatchewan. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) completed an investigation last month available here:

tsb.gc.ca/eng/enquetes-investigations/rail/2020/r20w0025/r20w0025.html

TSB’s report on the derailment:

The derailment was likely caused by the failure of a recently installed plug rail joint. The severity of the derailment was influenced by multiple factors such as:

the speed of the train (44 mph), and
the size and topography of the derailment area, and the temperature at the time of the derailment.

Effects of the accident on our Fund:

The cost of the damages caused by the derailment is below the amount or liability that the railway company must carry. Therefore, our Fund will not be activated.

We will monitor this accident until February 2026, when the time limit for claims against the railway company expires.

Summary of the accident (based on the TSB report):

On February 6, 2020, a Canadian Pacific Railway Company (CP)[1] freight train carrying crude oil was travelling east at about 44 miles per hour. Then, thirty-two cars derailed near Guernsey, Saskatchewan. Around 1.75 million litres of crude oil spilled from thirty of these cars. This resulted in:

a major fire,
the destruction of 300 feet of track,
the closure of a major highway in the area, and
the evacuation of approximately 85 residents.

However, no injuries or fatalities were reported.

Since the accident, Transport Canada has issued Rail Safety Advisories. They modified train speeds and enhanced track infrastructure and safety standards. For example, trains with 20 or more cars of dangerous goods must now travel at a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour.

Other references:

[1] The company is now named CPKC.

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2020 Guernsey Derailment

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