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Rail transportation safety investigation R16M0026

The TSB has completed this investigation. The report was published on 15 February 2018.

Table of contents

Crossing accident

Canadian National Railway Company
Freight train Q-12111-26
Mile 124.43, Springhill Subdivision
Moncton, New Brunswick

View final report

The occurrence

On , at approximately 0143 Atlantic Daylight Time, while travelling westward on the Springhill Subdivision, Canadian National Railway Company freight train Q-12111-26 struck a pedestrian in a wheelchair at the Robinson Street public crossing (Mile 124.43) in Moncton, New Brunswick. The crossing was equipped with flashing lights, bell, and gates. The pedestrian was fatally injured.

Safety communications

Recommendations

2018-02-15

TSB Recommendation R18-01: The Department of Transport work with stakeholders to identify engineering options for the improvement of crossings designated for persons using assistive devices, conduct an assessment of their effectiveness, and update its regulatory provisions as appropriate.

Media materials

News releases

2018-02-15

TSB calls for improvements to pedestrian railway crossings following a July 2016 fatal crossing accident
Read the news release

Backgrounders

Speeches

2018-02-15

News conference for Railway Investigation Report R16M0026 - Opening remarks
Faye Ackermans, Board member, TSB
and
Don Ross, Investigator-in-charge, TSB

Deployment notice

2016-07-27

TSB has deployed a team of investigators to a fatal railway crossing accident in Moncton, New Brunswick

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, 27 July 2016 — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has deployed a team of investigators following a fatal crossing accident between a pedestrian and a Canadian National (CN) train in Moncton, New Brunswick. The TSB is gathering information and assessing the occurrence.


Investigation information

Map showing the location of the occurrence


Investigator-in-charge

Photo of Don Ross

Don Ross joined the TSB as a safety analyst in the Accident Prevention Branch. In April 1996, he joined the Investigations Division as a senior investigator. He worked out of the TSB Head Office for seven years. During this time, he led a number of major rail investigations and often relieved the national manager of investigations, Rail/Pipeline. In 2000, he started working in Halifax/Dartmouth as the regional senior investigator, Rail/Pipeline for the Atlantic Region.

Mr. Ross began his railway career in 1975 at CN Rail's maintenance shops in Sydney, Nova Scotia. He became a permanent supervisor in 1979, and thereafter occupied a variety of supervisory and management positions across Canada, including in Sydney, Halifax, Moncton, Montreal, Winnipeg and Prince George, British Columbia. His railway experience includes managing car repair shops, locomotive shops, maintenance shops and a wheel shop. Mr. Ross has also worked in CN district, regional and headquarters offices in positions with responsibilities relating to equipment inspection and maintenance (13 transfers in 6 provinces).

Mr. Ross holds a Certified Health and Safety Consultant designation and a professional Member designation from the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering. He has also received extensive training in dangerous goods, and was national coordinator of CN's emergency response teams for over three years. He is the national president of Clan Ross Association of Canada. He and his wife Caroline have three children and six grandchildren.


Photos


  Download high-resolution photos from the TSB Flickr page.

Class of investigation

This is a class 2 investigation. These investigations are complex and involve several safety issues requiring in-depth analysis. Class 2 investigations, which frequently result in recommendations, are generally completed within 600 days. For more information, see the Policy on Occurrence Classification.

TSB investigation process

There are 3 phases to a TSB investigation

  1. Field phase: a team of investigators examines the occurrence site and wreckage, interviews witnesses and collects pertinent information.
  2. Examination and analysis phase: the TSB reviews pertinent records, tests components of the wreckage in the lab, determines the sequence of events and identifies safety deficiencies. When safety deficiencies are suspected or confirmed, the TSB advises the appropriate authority without waiting until publication of the final report.
  3. Report phase: a confidential draft report is approved by the Board and sent to persons and corporations who are directly concerned by the report. They then have the opportunity to dispute or correct information they believe to be incorrect. The Board considers all representations before approving the final report, which is subsequently released to the public.

For more information, see our Investigation process page.

The TSB is an independent agency that investigates air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.