MONTREAL: A Via Rail passenger train carrying 124 people derailed in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region of Quebec early Monday morning, January 12, 2026, after colliding with two semi-trailer trucks. The accident occurred at approximately 1:30 a.m. in Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska while the train was en route from Montreal to Halifax. According to the provincial police, the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), the two lead locomotives and several cars jumped the tracks after striking the rear ends of the trucks, which were reportedly parked too close to the rail line.
Remarkably, no injuries were reported among the 124 passengers and crew members on board. The four individuals who were sleeping inside the two trucks at the time of the impact also escaped without injury. Following the collision, the train lost heating, prompting emergency responders to evacuate the passengers to a local community center in Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska to keep warm. Via Rail later arranged for buses to transport the stranded passengers to their final destinations in Halifax.
The derailment caused significant disruption to rail traffic, as it occurred on a single-track section of the line. Consequently, passengers on another Via Rail train traveling in the opposite direction were also transferred to buses to complete their journeys. Local authorities noted that a diesel spill from the damaged locomotives was being managed by environmental officials. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) and CN Police have launched a full investigation to determine how the vehicles ended up in the path of the train and to assess the safety protocols at the site.
