Today, CN is releasing the preliminary findings of its investigation into the July 5 derailment in Repentigny, in which 46 railcars derailed.

CN’s thorough review of the available evidence indicates that the derailment was caused by a thermal misalignment of the rail. A thermal misalignment occurs when extreme temperatures cause rail to shift out of alignment. CN believes that this was caused by the misapplication of the Company’s engineering standards related to rail distressing during the work that was conducted on the level crossing in the spring of 2026. At this stage, CN does not believe speed, train handling and mechanical issues were causes of the derailment.

The track has been inspected by the appropriate authorities, and train movements have been authorized at a restricted speed. Additional inspections are also being conducted by CN to closely monitor the track and ensure it continues to perform as expected. CN welcomes further inspections by Transport Canada before any change is made to the current speed restriction.

As the Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s investigation remains ongoing, CN will limit its comments regarding the cause of the derailment to this statement.

We recognize the concern and disruption this incident caused for residents and we sincerely apologize to the residents of Repentigny for the disruption and concern caused by this incident. We understand the impact events like this can have on a community. Safety remains our highest priority, and we will continue to work closely with the Mayor and local officials while keeping the community informed.