Train derails at Bath Road crossing for second time in a month

For the second time this month, a train has derailed at the CN Rail crossing on Bath Road near Armstrong Road.

The derailment occurred at approximately 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Mar. 25, 2020, and has resulted in the closure of Bath Road between Queen Mary Road and Armstrong Road, though police noted that the area of the closure may expand.

It appears that three to five rail cars have come off the rails at the crossing, but none have toppled over, and there are no spills.

“There are no reports of any cars being overturned, their integrity being compromised, or of any cargo being spilled. Due to this initial information there is no believed risk or exposure to the public, and is simply a traffic issue at this time while authorities attend to assess and restore rail and train functionality,” said Sgt. Steve Koopman of Kingston Police. “[A] full closure with posted officers is occurring at Armstrong Road to the west and Queen Mary Road to the east. Additionally, for preferred traffic flow, barricades will be put in place at Centennial Drive to the west and Portsmouth Avenue to east. Please avoid this area until updates are announced regarding the opening of Bath Road.”

According to witnesses on the scene, it appears as though the train tracks are sagging in the area of that crossing, the exact same place a much larger train derailment occurred on Wednesday, Mar. 4, 2020. That derailment led to the closure of Bath Road for two days as crews worked to lift toppled cars and clean up the spilled cargo. The cause of that derailment has yet to be released to the media.

Kingstonist will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.