Toronto Ontario - Human error appears to be at fault for two freight trains sideswiping each other in the heart of Toronto early Sunday morning,
a Canadian Pacific (CP) spokesman said.
"Preliminary indications are that the incident was a result of human error," Martin Cej said.
"There were no track, mechanical, or signalling issues."
Around 05:15 a train was heading eastbound through a crossover on the track near Dupont Street and Spadina Road when two locomotives heading westbound hit the
tail end of the train.
"The locomotives derailed upright and there was a fuel leak from the fuel tank on the lead locomotive that was punctured," Chris Krepski,
Transportation Safety Board of Canada spokesman, said.
"The other train that was struck, it was a side collision. There was something like 10 platform cars struck, six or seven of which
derailed."
Krepski said the last car had "some dangerous commodities" on board, but no product was released.
He couldn't confirm what kind of product was being transported, and said the TSB is looking into the cause of the crash.
Toronto Fire Services District Chief David Taylor said the diesel fuel that spilled had been contained.
Angela Singer-Butler, who lives nearby, said she was woken up by the "earth-shattering" accident.
"We all heard this huge bang and we were so startled," she said.
"We often hear the trains, but it doesn't really wake us up."
John McGrath, a board member of the Annex Residents' Association, came to the scene after seeing reports on Twitter.
He said the association, along with other groups, have been trying to get the rail line moved for years.
"It's been three years since Lake Megantic and we haven't learned a thing," he said.
"We are still shipping dangerous cargo through residential neighbourhoods."
Cej said nobody was injured and there is no concern for public safety as the derailed train was carrying intermodal containers.
"CP takes this incident extremely serious," he added.
CP and the TSB are investigating.
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