Excite--North Bay Nugget

Union leader says Ontario Northland Railway must come under TSB

Updated 1:03 AM ET March 24, 2000

TEMAGAMI, Ont. (CP) - The company responsible for a train that derailed two weeks ago should be placed under the jurisdiction of Transport Canada, a union official said Thursday.

"We've wanted some accountability for many years," said Brian Stevens, president of the Canadian Auto Workers local which represents 225 workers at the The Ontario Northland Railway.

"They are immune from federal legislation and that's not right."

The Ontario Northland Railway is currently the only railway company in Ontario not regulated by federal authorities.

Tom Griffith, a Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigator probing the March 14 derailment - which spilled sulphuric acid into a local waterway - has said he will recommend Ontario Northland be regulated by Transport Canada.

Cleanup crews have been on the derailment site for more than 10 days, and railway company officials hope to have freight trains back running today.

Griffith said he hoped he would be able to announce the cause of the wreck today.

"This is terrific," said Stevens. "Most times we just never get to hear the cause."

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), March 24, 2000

Answers

Rachel,

Thank you for the post...much appreciated!

Dee

-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), March 24, 2000.

You're welcome, Dee. I'm still watching, but you and Carl et al have been doing such a fine job that I haven't had much else to post.

BTW, the oil well fire near Lethbridge is still burning.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), March 24, 2000.