CN Rail crews were called to an area north of Edmonton Saturday morning after a freight train derailment in Fawcett, Alta.
Seventeen cars carrying grain came off the tracks, according to CN. The cause of the derailment is now under investigation.
CN said crews would be on scene throughout the day Saturday to remove the derailed cars and repair the tracks.
No injuries were reported.
Dianne Kochan lives about 75 feet from the site of the derailment and said the loud crashing of the train woke her up Saturday morning.
“It started vibrating the house so bad that I thought it was going to come off its foundation, or off its blocks, because it’s a mobile home,” she said. “The cars are right up against the picnic table, against the tractor, against the trees.
“They’re all folded up and they’re on top of each other and sideways.”
Kochan has lived in her home for 37 years and said nothing like this has ever happened. She said it was quite a frightening ordeal to watch unfold.
“My heart was in my throat,” she said.
“If the train was going any faster than he was it would have been on my house, it would have knocked my power pole right onto my house.”
Fawcett is approximately 70 kilometres north of Edmonton.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said Saturday morning it was aware of the situation and was gathering information. As of 11:20 a.m. MT, TSB investigators had not yet been sent out to the scene to investigate.
Comments