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Broken wheel blamed for 61-car train derailment near Hope in 2020

Transportation Safety Board: incident in B.C.’s Fraser Canyon, spilled 6 million kilograms of potash.
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The Transportation Safety Board says a broken wheel set off a train derailment in B.C.’s Fraser Canyon, spilling six million kilograms of potash. (Emelie Peacock/Hope Standard)

The Transportation Safety Board says a broken wheel was to blame for a train derailment in B.C.’s Fraser Valley more than three years ago that spilled six million kilograms of potash.

In September 2020, 61 cars on a Canadian National Railway freight train left the tracks just south of Hope, B.C.

A board report says no one was hurt and none of the product that spilled was dangerous.

The board investigation determined the broken wheel dropped between the rails, breaking the track at multiple welds and setting off the rail-car pileup.

The report says the cleanup was able to remove all the potash, the area was seeded and replanted and B.C.’s Ministry of Environment was satisfied with the response.

The report concluded that despite no indication of a split in the rim of the wheel, the failure occurred and no safety actions were taken by CN Rail after the derailment.

READ ALSO: Clean up efforts continue after 60-car derailment, potash spill near Hope

READ ALSO: VIDEO: 20 cars derail off track in CN Rail wreck in Hope