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VIA Rail accident suspends Toronto-Montreal service

VIA Rail accident suspends Toronto-Montreal service - image

Clean-up crews with Canadian National Railway worked throughout the night to vacuum spilled jet fuel from a CN train that derailed Sunday east of Port Hope, Ont.

CN said it expected to have the jet fuel removed Monday, at which point the workers could deal with the 20 derailed cars from the 116-car train and the small fire in one of the derailed butane cars that was still flaring.

The derailment Sunday night prompted the temporary evacuation of about 20 homes within a 1.6 kilometre radius just east of Port Hope.

Police said no one was reported injured in the incident.

The train had been carring jet fuel and propane, among other things.

Via Rail has suspended its passenger service on the Toronto-to-Montreal and Toronto-Ottawa routes, in both directions, until the rail line is reopened, according to a VIA news release issued Monday.

The company added it will be providing buses as an alternative mode of transportation for passengers with existing tickets. Via is not booking trips on either route until the situation has cleared.

"At this time I can’t give you an estimate of time when the track will be passable, in other words, when the trains will be able to go through the area," said Frank Binder, a CN spokesman.

The Transportation Safety Board is working with CN to determine the cause of the derailment.

The westbound train’s final destination was the MacMillan Yard in Concord, Ont., about 20 kilometres north of Toronto.

Port Hope is about 100 kilometres northeast of Toronto.

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