Our Lost Railways

 In 2013 the sole engineer on a crude oil train at the end of his allowable operating hours set the air brakes on his train and repaired to a hut for needful rest. While he was sleeping the idling engine overheated causing a fire which was extinguished by local firemen. Without notifying the owners or attempting to find the engineer they shut down the unit that was powering the compressed air for the brakes. When the brakes failed the train rolled downhill and jumping the tracks caught fire incinerating downtown Magantic. So who is responsible for this calamity? The engineer followed the rules in good faith and lacking a backup engineer had little choice. The train's owners have ceased to exist as a company.

As fuel oil becomes more expensive and profit margins tighter rail lines cut corners. Single-man crews become all to often the norm. Rail bed ballasts become unstable and aging railway ties rot, spikes rust, and wear and tear on rails and their joints take their toll. Rail line inspectors walk only so far from the nearest railway crossing. Derailments occur all to often. In many cases rural level railway crossings have only the most rudimentary warnings. You will remember that on its maiden trip the ill-fated Turbo cut a transport truck in two. A high-speed train from Montreal to Toronto could make the trip in just over an hour downtown to downtown, a trip that in today's environment takes 4 or 5 hours by air. But given present conditions this is only a dream.

It was in Mulroney's era that our rail system was decimated. No rail lines remain in PEI and little remain in NS. The narrow gauge Newfie Bullet exists as a museum in St. John's its line a part of the Trans Canada Trail. Although crude still travels to the Irving Refinery in Saint John transport trucks clog our highways creating wear and tear to replace the much more efficient rail transport.