I’ve read somewhere that CN trains are restricted to 75 cars on the former BC Rail lines. Can’t remember where I read it, but can anyone confirm or dispute this?
Several variations of train length restrictions were implemented after the 2005 Cheakamus Canyon derailment (caustic soda spill, fish kill). I have never worked in that area, so I have no idea what restrictions are still in place today. But I suspect there is still a hard limit for conventional trains, and at any rate most freight traffic has been diverted off the ex-BCR line, onto the daily Vancouver-Prince George (via Kamloops, Blue River and McBride) M354/M355, which normally run with over 150 cars.
http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/rail/2005/r05v0141/r05v0141.html
[quote user=“Section 4.1.1 Regulatory Action”]
Following the 05 August 2005 derailment, the TSB issued Rail Safety Advisory (RSA) 09/05 to Transport Canada (TC) on 07 October 2005. The RSA stated that, in consideration of the safety-critical nature of operating instructions, and the recent acquisition of this territory by Canadian National (CN), TC might wish to review and assess CN’s equipment handling, train length and tonnage instructions to ensure that they are adequate for safe train operation over the sharp curvature and steep grades on the former BC Rail (BCR) territory. TC responded to the RSA on 08 December 2005 and to circumstances identified as a result of the three subsequent derailments on the Squamish Subdivision. TC’s December 8 response discussed the Notices and Orders issued below:
In response to the October 24th CN derailment at Mile 54 on the Squamish Subdivision (R05V0206), Transport Canada issued CN a Notice and Order on October 27th restricting northward conventional trains handling only empty cars to a maximum of 12 driving axles on steep ascending grades in the Squamish area. In response to the November 3rd CN derailment at Mile 15 on the
Cool… thanks for the detail SD70Dude…