Truck Collides With Train

I'm late on reporting this one. I was out of town when it occurred and more details are still coming out.

A garbage truck drove into the side of a southbound CP train at Leclaire Road south of Winnipeg in the regional municipality of Ritchtot (here on Google Maps). This is the CP Emerson subdivision connecting Winnipeg with the United States, and it sees a fair amount of rail traffic. It is a few km from my house and I can hear the CP crews blow the horns several times a day.

News articles state the truck was proceeding east when it struck the train at 7 AM Monday. The truck driver had the sun in his eyes, no doubt, but the road and the rail line are both dead straight there and the view should be unobstructed. Photos show no crossbucks and the article calls the crossing "uncontrolled". There is a crossing warning sign.

The driver was taken to hospital with "non-life threatening injuries". News articles state he was 43 years old and suffered a broken arm.

The truck (owned by Johnson Waste Management) actually drove into the side of the second locomotive, SOO 6041, just behind the cab. The train had 86 cars, 26 of which were empty. News articles mention sulphuric acid and sulphur were on the train, but photos show a double-stack container car beside the wrecked truck. About 4000l of diesel fuel leaked from the SOO engine. Articles state 10-12 cars were derailed, and judging by the photos and video, most if not all were container platforms. It looks like the train separated several cars behind the engines.

The rail line was back in service by 10 AM Tuesday.

There is an excellent Global video report.

Articles: Canoe, Winnipeg Free Press, CBC, CJOB (with audio), CTV, Winnipeg Sun, Global TV.