A freight train derailment near Highway 31 in Morrisburg is causing long delays for Via Rail passengers travelling between Toronto and Montreal.
The derailment forced several CN cars off the tracks near an overpass in the small eastern Ontario town east of Brockville at about 2:20 p.m. Tuesday.
A large portion of the train jumped the tracks, causing freight cars to pile one on top of each other, according to Morrisburg Fire Chief Robert Hamilton.
A CN spokesperson told CTV Ottawa 26 freight cars left the track. Fifteen of those cars were empty; the others were carrying aluminum ingots.
The company said there is no environmental impact from the crash.
Although the fire department attended the scene, they are not involved in the investigation. Ontario Provincial Police say no injuries have been reported.
The track is a busy corridor shared by freight and passenger trains. The derailment is now causing long delays for Via Rail passengers travelling between Toronto and Montreal. Those trains are either being cancelled or rerouted through Ottawa.
Passengers are warned to expect delays between two and three hours.
Two trains have already been cancelled, and passengers are being given the option to catch a later train or get a refund.
In a statement released at 5 p.m., Via Rail said it was unclear if train service would continue to be disrupted on Wednesday.
Passengers who may have further questions are asked to contact Via Rail at 1-888-VIA-RAIL.
So far, there is no word on the cause of the derailment.
