The stoppage of repair work while the Ministry of Labour investigated the death of a worker; and the complexity of the clean-up operation at the Pickering site, are the two key reasons being cited by Metrolinx, operator of GO Transit, for the delays in return to normal train services on the Lakeshore East route.
A railway worker died on the Lakeshore East Line on November 27 night after an industrial accident saw the fall of a rail truck and ballast car. Before the accident, train services had been stopped on November 26 night for the rehabilitation of the Rouge River Bridge. Normal service was then scheduled to resume by December 2.
Now, repair work is expected to take up this weekend.
“Due to the nature of the incident, the Ministry of Labour had to investigate the scene. Lifting and removing the rail truck and the ballast car required a great deal of expertise and once removed, it was discovered the damage to the track was much more extensive than first thought,” said a Metrolinx statement.
It said a team of experts has carried out the “incredibly delicate and complex operation” of lifting the rail maintenance car and truck involved in the incident. Now that it’s been moved, Metrolinx has started the work of repairing the damaged tracks.
On the night of November 30, the excavators lifted and re-railed the rail truck – which weighs over 61,000 pounds. The ballast car was lifted December 1 morning.