A coal train derailed last week, leaving 27 train cars full of coal at the side of the track near Hosmer.
The cause of the westbound train’s derailment is not yet known, but CP Rail said they will be holding a full investigation.
The cars derailed at about 5:30 on Tuesday morning last week.
“The train was fully loaded with coal and was near Hosmer when the emergency brakes deployed,” said Mike LoVecchio, Senior Manager of media Relations at Canadian Pacific. “The crew brought the train to a safe stop but then when they went to investigate they found that 27 cars had derailed.
“Recovery crews were sent to help out from Kamloops and other areas and were able to get the truck reconstructed within 20 hours.”
LoVecchio said the train was 7,000 ft long and was pulling 112 cars. The cars that had not derailed were pulled back to Sparwood and the 27 derailed cars were dragged fully off the tracks.
“The coal from the 27 cars will be recovered and will continue its journey,” he said.
“Residents in Fernie may notice a few more trains than usual going through town as we try to catch up for lost time.”
There were no injuries and no environmental concern as a result of the incident.
“Safety is our number one priority, and the environment,” said LoVecchio. “But this is also an important piece of track to us as it is the start of the coal loop, so it was important for us to get the track repaired quickly.”