CN Rail cleans up after derailment plunges cars carrying grain into Fraser River

VANCOUVER — A derailment has sent rail cars carrying grain plunging into the Fraser River, and CN Rail says it’s working to restore the tracks near Boston Bar, B.C.

It says the incident involving about a dozen cars from a CPKC train on its mainline east of the Fraser Canyon community happened on Sunday due to a rockslide.

The transport company says “no injuries, fires or dangerous goods” were involved in the derailment and crews worked through the night to safely clear the area, removing rocks and debris.

Video footage posted online shows six cars upended on a slope leading into the Fraser River, with the other cars either submerged or partially submerged.

CN Rail says crews are now working to restore the track and resume train traffic by Monday afternoon.

But it says cleanup of the derailed cars and grain will continue “over the coming days and weeks.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2024.