From: CZ94@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA (CZ94)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: Re: VIA response to CN derailment
Date: 25 Aug 92 21:11:05 GMT
Organization: McGill University

In article <1992Aug25.020028.20171@dartvax.dartmouth.edu> R.Todd.Minsk@dartmouth.edu (R. Todd Minsk) writes:
>In article <20AUG92.19091863.0082@VM1.MCGILL.CA>
>CZ94@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA (CZ94) writes:
>
>> Yesterday morning (Wednesday, Aug. 19) a CN freight derailed near
>> Les Cedres, just west of Montreal Island, blocking the line used
>> for VIA's Montreal-Ottawa and Montreal-Toronto services.  The
>> line is still blocked today, as some cars carrying propane are
>> leaking.
>>
>> VIA's response to this was to cancel Montreal-Ottawa service and
>> replace it with buses.  Montreal-Toronto passengers are being bussed
>> between Montreal and Cornwall, which has become the temporary
>> terminus for train service to/from Toronto.
>>
>> A look at some topographic maps (50000:1 scale) suggests to me that
>> it shouldn't be that hard to get around the blocked stretch of
>> track.  One could proceed as follows:
>>
>> - Montreal Central Station to Dorval station on CN, as usual.
>>
>> - At Dorval, cross over from CN to the parallel CP tracks.  The
>> crossover here is intended to send westbound trains from CP to CN,
>> so a short backing manoeuvre would be needed, but this shouldn't
>> be difficult.
>>
>> - Take CP's Vaudreuil and Winchester subdivisions for about 30 miles
>> west to De Beaujeu, where there is a connection with CN's
>> Alexandria sub.
>>
>> - For Ottawa trains, go north on the CN Alexandria sub (the usual
>> route for these trains).  For Toronto trains, go south on this sub
>> 6 miles to Coteau, where you rejoin the usual Montreal-Toronto
>> route.
>>
>> This only adds 9 miles to the usual Montreal-Toronto route, and
>> actually shortens the Montreal-Ottawa distance by 4 miles.  All
>> the CN track to be used is already used by passenger trains.  The
>> CP track to be used is a double track main line, so track condition
>> and capacity shouldn't be a problem there, either.
>>
>> This route is just idle speculation by me.  Does anyone have any
>> facts or informed speculation on why this wouldn't work?
>>
>> More generally, does anyone know how detailed VIA's (or Amtrak's)
>> contingency planning is in case of blocked track?  Do they keep a
>> lot of plans ready for how to reroute trains when the regular route
>> is closed?  Or do they just come up with an emergency response when
>> a problem arises?
>>
>I don't recall a wye at Coteau, so trains would have to back up between
>there and De Beaujeu.  The De Beaujeu track arrangement might also
>cause impracticality.  Backing up is expensive, both in time and money
>(and adds hazards) so is preferably avoided.  Also, CP may have refused
>permission to handle VIA's trains.
>
There *is* a wye at Coteau, so there wouldn't have been a problem there.
De Beaujeu is another story.  Ted Steinbrenner tells me (via e-mail)
that the only connecting track there is from westbound CP to north-
bound CN (or southbound CN to eastbound CP).  This would be fine
for the Montreal-Ottawa route I suggested, but for Montreal-Toronto
it would require backing the 6 miles from De Beaujeu to Coteau.
Another problem, Ted says, is that this connecting track often
contains freight cars waiting for interchange.

The backing manoeuvre I described for the crossover at Dorval used
to be performed by the Canadian in the early days of VIA, when
it was using CN tracks from Montreal Central Station to Dorval,
but CP's M&O sub from Dorval to Ottawa.

Anyway, the CN main line was reopened last Saturday (Aug. 22).

A friend at CN tells me that they do a vast amount of contingency
planning for derailments anywhere on their system.
>
Tom Box
CZ94@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA