A safety assessment is complete and roads are back open after a train derailment in Brandon early Thursday, the city said.
Brandon police say they were notified around 1:45 a.m. Thursday about the incident, which saw three cars from a CPKC train leave the track under the Daly overpass.
CP Rail became CPKC after Canadian Pacific Railway merged with Kansas City Southern earlier this year.
Police said at least one of the cars, which weren’t carrying any hazardous goods, hit a concrete support, causing visible damage.
While an assessment of the damage was underway, 18th Street was closed on both sides of the overpass.
Brandon mayor Jeff Fawcett told Global Winnipeg it was only a temporary inconvenience for residents, even with the importance of 18th Street to the city.
“It really is the main thoroughfare that goes right through the city of Brandon, past the Keystone Centre, past our main retail hubs, over our river,” Fawcett said.
“We do have a few other accesses, but it is the main one that goes up to the Trans-Canada Highway and takes you down (Highway) 10 to the border.
“There are other routes, conveniently. Three of them were shut down early this morning at 1:45 when the incident took place… but by 4:45 (a.m.), two of them were open again.”
Although construction is underway beside the site of the derailment, Fawcett said workers weren’t affected by the incident — and as the bridge that was struck is slated to be removed later this year anyway, it was a lucky break.
“It’s almost a best-case scenario if you had to have a derailment: no injuries, minimal impact.”
Fawcett said CPKC will pay for temporary repairs to the concrete support.
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