The site of a train derailment in Sarnia that involved almost 50 CN Rail cars has been cleared and is now operational.
CN Rail said Tuesday evening that work crews have finished laying new track for the whole span of the St. Clair Tunnel between Sarnia and Port Huron, Michigan, and a train has successfully cleared the tunnel for the first time since the derailment on June 28.
CN employees and contractors worked around the clock and over holiday weekends in Canada and the US to clear the tunnel.
A team of dangerous goods experts and contractors were still cleaning up and pumping out spilled sulphuric acid in the tunnel late last week, but CN said the sulfuric acid has since been removed from the site or neutralized.
"The spill caused no harm to the environment or to public safety as it was completely contained to the site of the derailment," CN said in a statement sent to Blackburn News. "The tunnel suffered only minor cosmetic damage and there was no impact to its structural integrity."
An investigation into the cause of the derailment is still ongoing and CN is working with the Canadian Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation.
Sarnia Fire and Rescue responded to the scene of the derailment at around 5:30 a.m. on the Friday ahead of the Canada Day long weekend. Fortunately, no one was injured.