Hundreds of passengers on a scenic Rocky Mountaineer train trip had to bus the last leg Monday after a Canadian Pacific train derailment closed the tracks between Ashcroft and Lytton.
The derailment occurred at about 2 a.m. after a westbound CP train jumped the tracks in the Black Canyon west of Kamloops.
The train was hauling empty auto-carriers and container cars. The incident caused an eastbound CP train, which had been stopped to let the other train pass, to also derail. Between the two trains, about 24 cars were off the tracks, closing the main CP line.
There were no injuries, environmental impact or public safety issues as a result of the derailment, spokeswoman Breanne Feigel said. The main CP line was expected to reopen today. The cause of the derailment is under investigation by CP and Transport Canada.
The closure meant many train passengers could not continue their trip through the scenic canyon. Feigel said CP helped organize a convoy of buses to transport the passengers and crew from Kamloops to Vancouver. Rocky Mountaineer said it had to hire 16 coaches for the 562 guests and 50 crew members.
Company spokesman Ian Robertson said although the passengers were inconvenienced, most of them were understanding about the change of plans. The passengers had been on two separate Rocky Mountaineer trains; one was coming from Banff and Calgary, and the other from Jasper. Even though it wasn’t the company’s fault, Robertson said, Rocky Mountaineer offered the passengers compensation or another Rocky Mountaineer tour.
“The majority took it very, very well. They understand it’s something totally out of our control,” Robertson said. He
Dale, it has been a tough three days for excrusions. I was on #2141 on its last fall excursion to Armstrong when it plowed into a farmer’s 5 ton truck and trailer hauling about 8 tons of hay at the farmer’s unmarked and private grade crossing. Here are two images that I took seconds after the event. Luckily, she was running tender first. Only a bent stirrup and a blown tire on the truck. The hogger’s attention to his duties made all the difference. Lucky farmer.
Kamloops radio news is reporting that 1 track is now open (noon today), the other will be open in 24 hrs. They had an interview with a RM spokesperson, he seemed to think most took the bus ride in stride.
I heard about both those through other connections, and I found it funny how people were having trouble figuring out if it was a hay truck or a gravel truck that 2141 hit. And, of course, it was a gravel truck pulling hay!
Anyways, one of my friends happened to be up in the Black Canyon that day and caught a few pictures. Right place at the right time, as they say…
Oh yes, it happened right as the Basque interchange track so it was able to take out two of the three Canadian routes to the coast…I expect at least two of the three tracks affected are open by now.
