CN Rail train derails east of Edmonton

A train partially derailed in Strathcona County early Wednesday morning. A total of 17 cars left the tracks near Wye Road and Range Road 213 shortly after 6 a.m., according to CN Rail. No one was hurt.

CN did not say what caused the derailment. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said it would be deploying a team of investigators to look into the incident. A worker walks along CN Rail's line at Wye Road and Range Road 213 in Strathcona County after a derailment on April 5, 2023.

The train was carrying grain. Some spilled product was visible when CTV News Edmonton arrived at the scene. A local resident called it a relief that dangerous goods weren't spilled and the crash wasn't worse, as he frequently sees cars carrying chemicals pass through the area.

Spilled grain is seen on CN Rail's line at Wye Road and Range Road 213 in Strathcona County after a derailment on April 5, 2023. "The trains are frequent and sometimes two at a time, and sometimes five minutes apart. One train can go through and five minutes later, another train is coming right up behind it.

"They've increased the traffic and they've increased the length of the trains so that sometimes, I've sat at the crossing for 35, 40, minutes waiting for two trains to pass. So that's how long they are," Dave Walkeden said. Workers assess the scene of a derailment on CN Rail's line at Wye Road and Range Road 213 in Strathcona County on April 5, 2023.

Recalling a derailment that happened a few years earlier, Walkeden commented, "This isn't too bad."

Traffic was unaffected by the crash, but the track was expected to be closed for 24 hours.