CN Rail's line between Prince George and Prince Rupert will be out of commission for at least a day, the company said Friday, following a collision between a a logging truck and a train near Burns Lake.
The mishap left a spectacular pile of debris as two CN Rail locomotives as well as 22 rail containers were derailed while the truck and its load of timber spilled onto the scene about 20 km west of the community of 2,000 people, located 226 km west of Prince George.
"There was a little bit of fuel leaking from the logging truck's fuel tanks but that's been somewhat contained," Burns Lake RCMP Cpl. Jack Ashford said. "There were no hazardous materials that were discharged from the train and there were none that we know of."
Emily Hamer with CN Rail said all the goods on the train were household items and nothing dangerous was being transported.
A CN Rail worker was treated for a bloody nose and the truck's driver was were taken to the local hospital as a precaution and released a few hours later.
The collision occurred at about 7 a.m. where a private road crosses the line and accesses the nearby Hampton Mill. Logging trucks have been given permission to use Highway 16 to reach the mill, Burns Lake RCMP Cpl. Jack Ashford said.
In a statement issued Friday afternoon, CN Rail said customers can expect traffic scheduled to run along the corridor will be delayed by at least 24 hours.
CN Rail Police and Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement are investigating.
