A published report suggests the VIA train that hit an object near Brighton Saturday morning actually hit materials regularly used to maintain and build railway tracks.
According to Today’s Northumberland the VIA train hit several heavy metal railroad tie plates.
The collision caused a diesel fuel tank to rupture causing a spill, injured a CN track worker standing near the tracks, and delayed the passenger train just east of Brighton for six hours.
There was damage to a CN truck and a window shattered on the train as well.
The tie plates are used to fasten rails to the railroad ties on the tracks.
Several plates were discovered on private property near the tracks on Sunday.
Neither CN nor VIA Rail has confirmed that tie plates were the objects struck.
