Residents of a small Saskatchewan community can return home after a train derailment.
Roughly 80 people from Guernsey were ordered to leave their homes after a Canadian Pacific Railway freight train derailed just east of the community Thursday morning.
Thirty-one of its 104 cars derailed and a dozen oil cars caught fire, spreading thick, black smoke into the air.
Flames could still be seen coming from the wreckage Friday morning.
The residents were sent to nearby Lanigan, where they gathered in the town hall and met with CP officials.
Officials told Global News the evacuation order was lifted late Friday afternoon.
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2nd derailment in two months near Guernsey, Sask. raises maintenance questions -
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Oil cars continue to burn at site of Saskatchewan CP train derailment -
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Guernsey, Sask. evacuated after CP freight train derailment -
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Josh Kondraczynski evacuated from Guernsey, Sask., following CP train derailment -
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Blaine Weber reacts to Guernsey train derailment -
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Freight train derails, catches fire near Guernsey, Sask.
It’s the second derailment in the area in less than two months.
Thirty-three oil tank cars and a hopper car jumped the rails west of Guernsey on Dec. 9, 2019, less than 10 kilometres away from Thursday’s derailment.
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The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) said 19 cars lost its entire load in the December derailment, releasing roughly 1.5 million litres of crude oil. The spill became engulfed in fire, which burned for approximately 24 hours.
TSB continues to investigate the cause of both derailments.
The federal government is placing speed restrictions on trains hauling dangerous goods following the second derailment.
Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau said starting midnight Friday, all trains with 20 or more cars carrying dangerous goods will be restricted to speeds of 40 kilometres per hour or less.
The order will remain in place for 30 days.
The train in the first derailment near Guernsey was travelling at 70 kilometres an hour when it derailed. Train speed has not yet been released in the second derailment.
The second derailment has renewed calls for more pipelines.
The reeve of the Rural Municipality of Usborne, Jack Gibney, said the federal government needs to look more seriously at pipelines to move oil.
—With files from The Canadian Press
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