Officials have said the VIA Rail train that derailed last Sunday in Burlington, Ontario, was ‘going more than four times the speed limit at the time of the crash’.
Investigators also said that the train’s black box indicated that the brakes weren’t applied, although they are unsure whether this was a human or mechanical error.
Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigator Tom Griffith said the train was ‘accelerating at the time of the crash, travelling at 108 km/h as it changed tracks’.
The speed limit for the procedure is 24 km/h.
Over 40 passengers were injured and three members of VIA Rail staff died when the train derailed.
A lawsuit has already been launched on behalf of the passengers, seeking $10 million in compensation.
