Montreal train car derailment investigation finds evidence of tampering

A criminal investigation into the derailment of train cars in Montreal's east end Thursday has foundevidence of tampering,Canadian Pacific has confirmed.

Canadian Pacific Police Serviceand the Montreal Policeare working jointly on thecriminal investigation into the derailment, which saw five empty flat rail cars jump the tracksnearTerrasseThomas-ValinandLespranceStreet.

Early results of the investigation suggestthe cars may have been tampered with, resulting in their movement.

• Montreal railcars derail, hit home in east end

The Transportation Safety Board reported Friday thatnot all the brakes had been applied to therail cars, whichhad been parked on the train tracks for almost a full year.

The cars, used to transport shipping containers, derailed in a residential area. One car hit a house, but nobody was injured.

Guy Laporte, the TSB'sregional senior investigator,saida block of 26 intermodal empty cars began rolling around 10:30 a.m.

The train rolled over a safety systemcalled a derail, whichallows runaway cars to derail before travelling too far and gaining too much speed.

Laporte saidthe first train car to leave the tracks also hit a second derail device.

"The first car that was derailed ripped off the second [derail device] and continued its course in the direction of the house," he said.

"After losing the front truck [set of wheels], the car by itself hit the brick wall."

In all, five of the 26 cars jumped the tracks.

Laporte said the cars were parked on a slight grade toward the south. He said it appears the cars travelled about 300 metres.

Hand brakes not applied

Laporte said investigators looked at how many of the runaway cars had hand brakes, andout of the first five cars, one hand brake was missing or not applied.

On the next four cars, the hand brakes had been removed, and the tenth car on the line had its hand brakes applied.

"The only thing I could say, for sure it was insufficient because it moved," said Laporte.

"There was not enough hand brakes applied yesterday morning."

Laporte said it's too early to tell when the brakes may have been removed.

Transport Canada introduced new rules for hand brakes earlier this year, in the wake of theLac-Mganticderailment.

The rules include a handbrake application chart for various operating situations, which once applied must be confirmed by another employee with an appropriate level of knowledge.