5 September 2007
Stalled Train a Pain for Rush-Hour Saskatoon Drivers
Saskatoon Saskatchewan - A two-kilometre-long
train broke down during the afternoon rush hour in Saskatoon Tuesday, blocking traffic for more than an hour.
According to Canadian Pacific Railway spokesman Michel Spenard, a faulty piece of equipment caused the brake system to lose pressure as
the train rolled through the downtown core.
The train came to a halt, as it is designed to do when the brakes fail, but that left almost all of the exits from the downtown core
blocked off, with the exception of the Broadway Bridge.
Spenard said CPR was concerned about safety. People who had lost patience started climbing over and under some of the cars, making it
too dangerous to move them.
The problem wasn't solved until after 6 p.m., while traffic remained jammed until about 7 p.m.
Spenard said it was impossible to break the train apart at the crossings because the brakes had locked on all the cars at the same time.
The company is sorry for the inconvenience caused to people trying to get home, he said.
"It's regrettable," he said.
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