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Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) signage is pictured outside TSB offices in Ottawa on Monday, May 1, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
By The Canadian Press

TSB investigation finds distracted crew likely caused B.C. train crash in 2023

Apr 30, 2026 | 11:10 AM

RICHMOND — Federal investigators say a train crash in Metro Vancouver in 2023 where about 8,000 litres of diesel fuel was spilled was likely caused by the crew missing a warning to slow down in preparation to stop.

The Transportation Safety Board says the crash in Delta on Nov. 19, 2023, happened when a northbound Burlington Northern and Santa Fe freight train passed a stop signal and crashed into another BNSF oncoming train.

The crash derailed two cars on the southbound train, while two locomotives and five cars on the train that missed the stop signal also left the tracks, setting off the diesel fuel release when the lead locomotive was badly damaged.

The investigation found the crew of the northbound train “may have been distracted by an activity unrelated to train operations” and did not see the signal notifying them to prepare to stop.

Investigators also found that the crew may have had the idea they could pass through the signal based on “prior communication with railway traffic control,” resulting in the train not reducing speed and being unable to react quickly when it arrived at the stop signal.

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The safety board says BNSF has voluntarily installed preventive measures since the crash, including an automatic braking system that would slow down trains that approach stop signals at excessive speeds as well as establishing “a crew focus zone” to limit distractions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

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