The federal Transportation Safety Board says a build up of ice and snow on the brake shoes of two rail cars led to a fatal accident in the CN Rail Edmundston rail yard in late 2018. The Board’s investigation found only the emergency brakes had been applied on the two rail cars that slammed into a locomotive killing a 33-year old railway worker.
The report says the worker was on the footboard of the locomotive when the rail cars hit pinning him. The investigation found there wasn’t enough friction to hold the cars because of the ice build up.
The report is recommending a clearer definition of regulations related to use of emergency and regular brakes as well as proper methods for ensuring ice and snow don’t build up on the brake shoes.
