CALGARY, AB, July 16, 2021 /CNW/ - Canadian Pacific (TSX:
CP) (NYSE: CP) today issued the following statement on the
Transportation Safety Board of Canada's ("TSB") rail transportation safety
investigation (R21V0143) update concerning the fire in Lytton, B.C.:
The TSB posted an update today regarding its investigation of
potential train activity-related fire in the vicinity of Mile 98.3
of Canadian National (CN) Ashcroft Subdivision around the time of
the wildfire in Lytton, B.C. on
June 30, 2021.
The TSB said that "at approximately 16:50
Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), smoke was spotted on the nearby
hills around the pedestrian bridge which parallels the Canadian
National (CN) bridge at Lytton,
B.C." According to the update, TSB deployed an investigation
team on July 9, 2021 to gather
information and assess. In a statement given to the Canadian Press,
TSB Chair Kathy Fox said that a full
TSB report on any train-related cause or contributing factors in
connection to the Lytton fire
could take up to two years. At this preliminary stage, any
conclusions or speculation regarding any cause of the Lytton fire or contribution factor is
premature.
Additionally, Ms. Fox is reported to have stated that it "is
certainly a wake-up call to really look at what precautions need to
be taken by railway companies..." In light of the early stage of
this TSB investigation, we believe it is irresponsible and
misleading to imply that railways are to blame for the fire.
To the best of CP's knowledge, the last train that passed
through Lytton on CN's Ashcroft
Subdivision before the fire started was a CN train known to CP as
CN 731L. To clarify, while this train is CP equipment, with CP
locomotives and railcars, it was transferred to the care, custody
and control of CN at Kamloops in
the morning of June 30, 2021, and was
being operated by CN, using CP's locomotives, over CN's own tracks
on the Ashcroft Subdivision. Transport Canada inspected that train on July 6 and confirmed in a letter dated
July 7 that there were "no
non-compliance or concerns" in relation to that train.
CP confirms that it has also inspected that train, as well as
all other CP trains that went through the town of Lytton during the relevant time period on
June 30 when we understand the fire
started. Based on train records, including contemporaneous video
footage, CP has found nothing to indicate that any of CP's trains
or equipment that passed through Lytton caused or contributed to the fire.
A review of the key facts confirms that railways are not a
significant cause of wildfires in B.C., contrary to media and
government speculation. The vast majority of wildfires are caused
by nature when environmental conditions are extremely hot and dry,
like those recently experienced in B.C.
Reducing the risk of wildfires
Rail infrastructure is
essential to Canada's national
supply chain, depended upon by Canadians each day to deliver
essential goods to their communities and to move Canadian exports
to international markets. CP has dedicated professionals who
continually assess wildfire risk in close proximity to our track
network. CP works in close collaboration with government agencies,
including the B.C. Wildfire Service, to share information on
wildfire activity and risk.
On an ongoing basis:
- CP has a robust vegetation management plan to limit vegetation
growth on its right-of-way and in yards.
- CP clears trees and brush in proximity to the right-of-way to
prevent the vegetation encroachment and mitigate fire risk.
- CP soaks the track and surrounding vicinity with water to
mitigate fire risk when undertaking railhead grinding, a critically
important activity to maintain safe railway infrastructure.
- During periods of extreme temperatures, CP increases the
frequency of track inspections and reduces train speeds or halts
traffic (determined by conditions) to maintain a safe rail
infrastructure to support train operations.
In response to the Lytton
wildfire, CP has taken additional actions. To avoid adversely
impacting local, provincial or national emergency response assets,
CP deployed additional emergency response assets to the area,
including:
- Two water trucks (1000 gallons and 500 gallons) and manpower
stationed on standby on CP's right-of-way at Lytton
- 24/7 on-call supervisors stationed at Spences Bridge to respond quickly to any
reports of fire along the right-of-way
- A grinder staged in North Bend
with a tank that can store water with a capacity of up to 4500
gallons
- A hi-rail support vehicle with a 250 gallon water tank
- Two high capacity (2800 gal) high rail water trucks in
Kamloops
- Firefighting resources on standby
- Donation of a large water bladder (5000 gal) with fire
pump/hose connections to Cooks Ferry First Nation to assist their
efforts
Supporting the Lytton
community's recovery
CP has pledged $1 million to support wildfire recovery efforts
in Lytton. As part of that, CP is
in the process of assisting the village in acquiring emergency
communications and computer equipment. CP also has offered to work
directly with the Village of
Lytton, Lytton First Nation, Thompson-Nicola Regional
District and other agencies to provide resources and logistics
support in the development of temporary housing facilities for
families that have been displaced. Additionally, donations from CP
employees are being matched to the Canadian Red Cross to aid in
relief efforts.
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.
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SOURCE Canadian Pacific