One Dead in VIA Rail Train Collision at Quebec Crossing

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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A Via Rail passenger train collided with a car in the Montérégie region on Monday morning, leaving one person dead and another critically injured. According to several sources, the accident took place at around 7:10 a.m. in St-Liboire, near St-Hyacinthe, about 75 kilometres east of Montreal.

The Via Rail passenger train number 20, which left Central Station in Montreal at 6:15 a.m., was destined to reach Quebec City when it slammed into the car at a level crossing on way. According to a Via Rail spokesperson, the crossing barriers were down at the time of the impact. Reports confirm that the force of the collision cut the car in half, with the front and back portions left more than 20 metres apart. Consequently, the authorities closed Highway 116 in both directions because it bisects the train. According to the company sources, the passengers are safe and inside the train, which is stopped on the tracks, just down from the crash site.

According to a tweet from the Via Rail’s official account, none of the passengers were injured, as it said “yes, this will affect the line and I cannot say for how long. The coroner and others will have to go to the site.” Via Rail spokesperson, Jacques Gagnon, alleged that “we have sent resources to relieve the engineers because, as you can imagine, this is a very traumatic event.” Gagnon added that “we have also dispatched buses to get the passengers off the train.” He said that anyone planning to travel on that corridor is advised to check with Via Rail’s website.