TSB calls for stricter rules on medical fitness assessments after Alberta train crash

The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) is urging the federal government to tighten its regulations regarding medical fitness assessments for railway employees. This call follows a 2023 train collision near Wainwright, Alberta, in which a Canadian National Railway (CN) locomotive engineer was cleared to work despite incomplete medical assessments related to his Type 1 diabetes.

The TSB's report revealed that the train engineer did not respond to repeated guidance from a trainee because he was experiencing a "significant decline in cognitive functioning" due to his medical condition. The train passed a stop signal as a result, causing a collision. The TSB found that several necessary annual diabetes assessments were incomplete but still accepted by CN.

Moreover, Transport Canada had not audited CN's compliance with the Railway Medical Rules in the 12 years preceding the crash. The TSB highlighted that the guidelines railways use for assessing the medical fitness of employees with diabetes are inconsistent with recommendations from Diabetes Canada or the medical certification guidelines used in the air and marine transportation sectors.