REGINA – Canadian Pacific Railway says strong plow winds caused the derailment of a train in southern Saskatchewan on Thursday night.
Spokeswoman Salem Woodrow said it happened about 7:30 p.m. east of Waldeck, about 200 kilometres west of Regina.
She said 33 cars were off the tracks, and the majority were empty while one was carrying cedar.
There were no injuries, no leaks and no evacuations.
A plow wind moves along a narrow, straight path and is usually associated with a thunderstorm.
Woodrow said the line was to reopen later on Friday.
Environment Canada meteorologist Ron Paola said there were storms in the area at the time.
Pat Shields of Moose Jaw was driving by the scene.
“There were containers scattered throughout the ditch, probably a good half mile of trains derailed,” Shields told Global News.
“It was kind of surreal, it was huge.”
Mounties said the tracks run alongside the Trans-Canada Highway, but no cars or debris from the derailment were on the road.
An officer said traffic would eventually be reduced to one lane so cleanup crews could get equipment to the site.
It’s the third time a CPR freight train has derailed in southern Saskatchewan in six weeks.
Updated with files from Global News.
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