Rail car mover derails in Confederation Line maintenance yard

The Transportation Safety Board has been notified after a set of wheels on a rail car mover left the tracks at the Belfast Maintenance and Storage Facility yard in Ottawa.

Transit Services Department Chief Safety Officer Duane Duquette notified council and the transit commission of a "minor incident" involving a piece of rail maintenance equipment at the maintenance yard for the Confederation Line on Wednesday.

Duquette says a rail car mover – a piece of maintenance equipment used to move train cars around the yard - was moving through the yard at low-speed at approximately 2:45 p.m.

"It traveled over a switch that was not properly aligned for its route, causing a set of wheels to leave the track," said Duquette.

"Following standard procedure, the equipment stopped and an investigation into the cause and the extent of the damage commenced immediately."

Duquette says no LRT cars were involved in the incident, and there was no damage to the switch, rails and equipment.

"While all efforts are made to prevent any occurrences, these types of incidents do occur from time-to-time in any maintenance yard," said Duquette.

The city and Rideau Transit Maintenance notified the Transportation Safety Board, and Duquette says a formal report is being provided.

"The City and RTM will be further reviewing this incident for any remedial actions or processes that may be required," said Duquette, adding no further follow-up is expected from the TSB.

In November two LRT cars were involved in an incident at the Maintenance and Storage Facility.

Council was told that one car was towing another in the yard as part of the regular maintenance operations when the two cars came into contact. There was some damage to the windshield glass, wipers, and exterior panels to both cars, and one car sustained damage to the coupler.