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VIA Rail temporarily reroutes trains around Cornwall, Ont. after truck falls over the tracks

Crews work to remove a transport truck that crashed onto the CN Rail tracks below Hwy. 401 near Cornwall, Ont. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa) Crews work to remove a transport truck that crashed onto the CN Rail tracks below Hwy. 401 near Cornwall, Ont. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)
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VIA Rail service resumed at the station in Cornwall, Ont. Wednesday afternoon, after a tractor-trailer crashed on the CN Rail tracks just outside of the city and forced VIA to temporarily reroute trains through Ottawa.

Ontario Provincial Police say one lane on Hwy. 401 westbound was closed between Boundary Road and County Road 27 near Cornwall early Wednesday morning following a collision. Lanes reopened at around 6 p.m.

A video on Twitter showed a transport truck partially off the road at the CN Rail line.

Police say a man driving an unloaded tractor-trailer eastbound on Hwy. 401 struck the guard rail, enter the centre median and drove over the bridge/underpass. The truck landed on the CN Rail tracks.

The driver was treated for minor injuries.

The collision forced VIA Rail to reroute trains around Cornwall because the tracks are impassable.

"A semitruck fell over CN tracks just east of Cornwall and the tracks are currently impassable. No trains were involved in the incident," VIA Rail said in a statement. "We are directly informing impacted passengers and will provide more updates as the situation evolves."

VIA Rail said trains 60, 61, 62 and 63 would not be stopping at Cornwall station and will be rerouted through Ottawa. Trains on the Toronto-Montreal line are expected to see at least a one-hour delay.

VIA Rail said the tracks were cleared just before 3 p.m., and service was resuming at the Cornwall station.

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