Share this Story: CN temporarily taking over rail switching at refinery
CN temporarily taking over rail switching at refinery
"We want to repeat our apologies to the people of Regina."
Will Chabun • Regina Leader-Post
The Co-op Refinery Complex won't have to adjust production due to suspension of a contractor handling railcars at the site. Photo by TROY FLEECE /Regina Leader-Post
In the wake of a strange incident in which a railcar escaped from its handlers and wandered across Regina one night last week, CN is temporarily taking over railcar operations at the Co-op Refinery Complex.
That's good news for the refinery as there's no need for a cut in production, said its manager of communications, Andrew Swenson.
CN temporarily taking over rail switching at refinery Back to video
"We're running at full capacity," he said Monday. "We're still able to transport via rail with CN providing those services."
The incident unfolded began late Tuesday night when a tanker car under the control of Cando Rail Services at the refinery got away from the workers handling it.
It travelled several kilometres along a CN line before coming to rest by Pony Park near McKinley Avenue and Robinson Street.
In doing so, the car, carrying asphalt, would have crossed Ring Road and Winnipeg, Broad and Albert streets. At its peak, it was moving about 20 kilometres per hour.
No one was hurt in the incident, and there was no damage or spillage. The car was secured within 15 minutes of getting loose.
"We want to repeat our apologies to the people of Regina," Lee Jebb, Cando's vice-president of railway operations, said Monday afternoon. "We are conducting a thorough investigation and we will be delivering a public update within 48 hours after we've had time to consult with all the stakeholders."
Last Friday, Jebb said Cando employees weren't close enough to the railway car to secure it, "which is really the essence of the human failure involved with this situation."
Based on a preliminary investigation, it appeared the car had an air brake applied, but no hand brake, That is OK by regulations as long as a worker is standing nearby. In this case, apparently nobody was.
Procedure has been changed to have both systems used, he added.
Cando said it immediately notified the Transportation Safety Board and CN. But it didn't notify the public or the City of Regina because there were no injuries, damage or threat to public safety beyond the 15 minutes the car when was on its own. The federal Transportation Safety Board, which is collecting information on the incident, confirmed that notifying the public in these cases isn't required.
Fire chief Ernie Polsom and Mayor Michael Fougere, only found out through media requests Friday morning, something they are both "quite concerned" about. The city will be following up on this "gap in the notification process," said Polsom. He added it will insist on being part of the investigation as well.
Cando is conducting its own review of its safety procedures, too, and has already made changes. Jebb said the company will require that both the air and hand brakes be applied to cars on unprotected tracks where they can get away, regardless of whether workers are nearby or not.
With files by Natascia Lypny
wchabun@postmedia.com
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