CALGARY,
AB, March 31, 2022 /CNW/ - Canadian Pacific
(TSX: CP) (NYSE: CP) today has issued the following statement
regarding the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) investigation
report (Report) into the Feb. 4, 2019
derailment that tragically took the lives of three CP
railroaders.
CP continues to mourn the loss of Dylan
Paradis, Andrew Dockrell and
Daniel Waldenberger-Bulmer. This is
a tragedy that will never be forgotten and one which has
strengthened CP's unwavering commitment to safety across its entire
operation.
Given the gravity of this incident and the tragic loss of life,
it was extremely disappointing that the TSB misrepresented the
facts at today's news conference and misunderstood key facts about
the incident in its Report. Specifically:
- At the news conference, the TSB's Manager, Head Office and
Western Regional Operations – Rail, misrepresented what happened on
the locomotive when the relief crew arrived to relieve the inbound
crew. The relief crew did not immediately decide to apply
handbrakes upon arriving at the locomotive. The Report itself
contradicts his statement. Per the TSB report, the relief crew had
been on board the locomotive for over 20 minutes and had performed
another job briefing before the train started to move. No decision
to apply handbrakes was made during this time.
- The assessment of the situation and the decision to apply brake
retainers were made using the collective knowledge and experience
of everyone involved. Both the locomotive engineers of the inbound
crew and the relief crew were fully-trained, qualified and
certified, and were well-experienced in the handling of trains on
mountain grades. The trainmaster was also a qualified locomotive
engineer with experience on mountain grades. Both crews and
trainmaster agreed on the appropriate steps to be taken in line
with existing procedure. The Field Hill operating procedure itself
was based on operating practices established in collaboration with
the running trades employees, Transport Canada and company
management in the wake of previous incidents more than two decades
ago. This was not an issue of training and/or experience.
- The TSB has erroneously concluded, based on inappropriate
extrapolation of data and unsupported inferences, that the
involved-train exhibited poor braking performance. As confirmed in
the Report, the train involved in the incident was fully
functional, met all industry standards and passed all regulatory
brake test inspections.
- CP demonstrated that its Safety Management System contains all
of the necessary elements as required by regulations. CP's safety
hazard reporting procedure was effective, both in form and in
execution. There were no systemic hazards that were not
appropriately addressed, including Field Hill train braking
performance, by CP's Safety Management System.
- CP has a robust training and certification program that meets
or exceeds applicable regulatory standards, utilizing leading
technology and focusing on practical application. Learning at CP is
never complete, and CP's training programs are continuously being
updated and refined using the most current practices and learnings
to confirm complete understanding.
CP has a strong culture of safety and always works to improve.
CP remains the industry leader in technology-driven train
inspections with a decade-long track record of reduced train
accidents and improved train performance.
Throughout this investigation, CP fully cooperated with the TSB.
CP strongly believes that real and substantive safety improvements
are only achieved when fact-based and objective analysis is
undertaken to truly understand the causes and contributing factors
of an incident like the Field
derailment.
CP will be addressing the inaccuracies and misrepresentations
made at today's news conference and in the Report in greater detail
directly with the TSB.
This matter remains the subject of a preliminary inquiry by the
RCMP.
About Canadian Pacific
Canadian Pacific is a transcontinental railway in Canada and the
United States with direct links to major ports on the west
and east coasts. CP provides North American customers a competitive
rail service with access to key markets in every corner of the
globe. CP is growing with its customers, offering a suite of
freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply
chain expertise. Visit cpr.ca to see the rail advantages of CP.
CP-IR
SOURCE Canadian Pacific