CN Railway accepted several incomplete health assessments prior to a locomotive engineer experiencing a medical emergency while supervising a trainee, resulting in a crash between two trains in eastern Alberta in 2023. According to a report released Tuesday by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), the engineer began to lose cognitive functioning while supervising a trainee who was operating a westbound train near Wainwright on Aug. 8, 2023. “As the train approached the (stop) signal, the locomotive engineer did not respond to the trainee’s repeated requests for guidance, delaying the trainee’s decision to brake,” TSB wrote. “A breakdown in communication and shared situational awareness among the crew further delayed their response.” When their train collided with the side of another CN train, two lead locomotives derailed, as did eight cars between them. TSB recommends more oversight The engineer had Type 1 diabetes. His symptoms that day were consistent with hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, although no tests were conducted immediately after the incident that could confirm this. TSB’s investigation revealed seven of the employee’s annual diabetes assessments since 2011 had been submitted incomplete, or not submitted at all, rendering CN unable to determine whether the engineer’s medical condition was stable. The missing assessments went unnoticed. TSB found Transport Canada had not audited CN’s compliance with industry health regulations in the 12 years before the crash. TSB recommended Transport Canada regularly monitor railway companies’ regulatory compliance to ensure employees in “safety-critical positions” are medically fit to carry out their duties. Additionally, TSB says it is “concerned” that industry guidelines for assessing the medical fitness of employees with diabetes are inconsistent with Diabetes Canada’s. TSB did not make a formal recommendation regarding this. After the derailment, CN implemented other rules regarding speed and team communications in critical zones. The company said it does not discuss details concerning employees, but that it is taking TSB’s findings seriously. “We learn from each incident and apply those learnings to our network and operations. CN remains in collaboration with Transport Canada on longer-term issues such as the implementation of Enhanced Train Control as well as greater access to inward-facing video footage. Safety is a core value at CN, and we continue to adopt best practices when it comes to the safety of our employees, the goods transported and the communities through which we operate.”
