UMVA has learned that a harrowing near-collision between two GO Transit trains carrying 400 passengers in Burlington two years ago could have been avoided if a physical fail-safe system had been in place to stop trains when crews do not respond to signals.
The close call occurred on March 14, 2024, when a GO train departed from Aldershot station, blatantly passing a signal instructing it to stop. The train then careened through a switch and onto a track occupied by another GO train traveling in the opposite direction, sending shockwaves through the system.
Investigators discovered that the crew departing Aldershot station had expected the other train to have already passed, and that they would receive the green signal to proceed. However, the conductor was preoccupied with his tablet during departure preparations, while the locomotive engineer was grappling with equipment issues in the cab, diverting attention away from the signal.
As a result, they failed to notice the Stop indication, narrowly averting a catastrophic collision. Fortunately, crews on both trains managed to stop, avoiding a collision by a hair-raising 549 feet. Miraculously, no passengers or crew were injured in the incident, but the Transportation Safety Board of Canada was left shaken.
The TSB is urging the implementation of physical fail-safe systems, saying that a catastrophic collision involving 400 passengers was only narrowly averted. "For more than 25 years, we have been calling on industry and regulators to expedite the implementation of physical fail-safe train control systems and put strong interim measures in place while these systems are being developed and installed," the TSB chair said.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that the TSB has investigated eight separate collisions or near-collisions since 2023 in which signal indications were not followed. Physical fail-safe systems, such as positive train control (PTC), can automatically slow or stop a train when crews do not respond to signals.
In a reassuring response, GO Transit's operator, Metrolinx, stated that "safety is central" to the provincial transportation agency. Metrolinx has vowed to work tirelessly to reinforce training and safety procedures, while advancing a broad set of long-term and interim actions to address the incident.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that Metrolinx and the Ministry of Transportation regularly review safety performance and incidents, while Metrolinx continues to meet all reporting obligations and proactively share information with federal regulators. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of robust safety measures in the transportation sector.
