Richard Froese
For the Lakeside Leader

More than one dozen CN railway freight cars went off track in a train derailment Jan. 11 in High Prairie that closed a highway crossing for about two days.

CN reported in an email that 14 cars derailed in the incident at the crossing on Highway 749. The crossing re-opened to vehicle traffic on the evening of Jan. 13.

“The cause of the incident is under investigation,” says CN’s Julien Bedard. “We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.”

Train traffic resumed the evening of Jan. 12, Bedard says.

High Prairie RCMP, Town of High Prairie peace officers, High Prairie Fire Department, Alberta Transportation and CN officials responded to the incident that occurred around 2:25 p.m.

Four of the cars spilled loads of wheat on the north side of the tracks east of the crossing.

No other railway crossings were blocked by the derailment.

CN work crews started repairs and cleaning up the site the morning of Jan. 12.