CN freight train derailment in Repentigny linked to missing rail anchors
The Transportation Safety Board found several deficiencies on the tracks where a CN train derailed July 5, including missing or displaced rail anchors between Mile 118 and Mile 121.
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Federal investigators say they found "several deficiencies" on the Repentigny tracks where a CN freight train derailed on July 5. The Transportation Safety Board identified missing or displaced rail anchors as a key factor.
Between Mile 118 and Mile 121, the TSB found multiple locations where anchors—devices that hold rails together—were missing or had shifted. Several ties were also skewed and no longer perpendicular to the rails. Missing or displaced anchors can reduce track stability and increase derailment risk from track buckling, the TSB wrote.
The CN freight train applied emergency brakes after passing a railway crossing on Le Bourg-Neuf Boulevard. Several cars derailed and scattered in various positions near residences on both sides of the right-of-way. No injuries were reported and there was no release of dangerous goods. The investigation is ongoing.
At a glance
Where did the CN freight train derail?
A CN freight train derailed in Repentigny on July 5, 2026, near residences on both sides of the right-of-way after passing a railway crossing on Le Bourg-Neuf Boulevard.
What track defects did investigators find?
Between Mile 118 and Mile 121 in Repentigny, the Transportation Safety Board found missing or displaced rail anchors at multiple locations and several ties that were skewed and no longer perpendicular to the rails.
