Train Derailment Cherry Creek
Last updated on November 19, 2025Disclaimer:
- Information provided is based on reports received by Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR)
- Information provided is considered to be current at the time of posting, but is subject to change
Incident description
| Incident Date | November 1, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Name | DGIR: 254216 |
| Source | Rail cars |
| Nearest Community | Kamloops, B.C. |
| Spilled Content | Jet A1 (aviation) fuel and gypsum |
| Who is involved |
Ministry of Environment and Parks (ENV), Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR), Interior Health Authority (IHA), First Nation Health Authority (FNHA), Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Transport Canada (TC), Stk’emlúpsemc te Secwepemc Nation, Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, and Skeetchestn. |
Response phase details
The responsible person or spiller is legally required to cleanup or manage the cleanup of a spill.
In incidents where the responsible person is unknown, unable or unwilling to manage the cleanup, the Ministry of Environment and Parks (ENV) may assume the role.
The updates below reflect the ministry’s oversight of the spillers’ actions. Details describe the spill response phase only and not the complete lifecycle of the spill. Visit the 'More information' page for other reports.
Updates are in reverse chronological order with the most recent at the top.
Industry-specific language may be explained in the Glossary of Terms (PDF, 106KB).
Most recent updates
November 19
A plan has been developed to recover the gypsum from the embankment and shoreline. The gypsum recovery is expected in the next few weeks.
Shoreline treatment is ongoing on both the South and North shoreline of Kamloops Lake. Shoreline flushing operations are being prioritized on the North shore in anticipation of winter conditions.
EEB staff remain involved in the incident response and recovery.
The next update is anticipated to be shared on November 27.
November 13
On Monday, November 10, 2025 a town hall meeting was held at Savona Community Hall, hosted by TNRD. The panel included representatives from CPKC, EEB, ECCC, and IHA. The recording of the town hall can be viewed on TNRD's YouTube.
Containment booms remain in the water along the shore at the incident site. All rail cars and their debris have been removed from the site. A plan is being developed to recover the gypsum from the embankment and shoreline.
The SCAT Team, composed of CPKC's contracted qualified professionals, ECCC, and EEB, completed all planned shoreline assessments. The SCAT team identified areas for treatment, which will use a method called shoreline flushing. Shoreline flushing is a process that uses water to mobilize oil, fuel, or other products off of the shoreline so it can be collected and removed. Additional boom has been installed in preparation for shoreline treatment.
CPKC report that water sampling results remain below BC Source Drinking Water Guidelines. Water sampling is transitioning from daily to weekly.
EEB staff remain involved in the incident response and recovery.
Further updates will be provided when more information becomes available.
November 9 - as of 20:00
There will be a public information meeting on Monday, November 10, 2025 at 18:00 at the Savona Community Hall, located at 6648 Tingley Street. This meeting is being held to provide an update to the public on the CPKC train derailment and clean up. For those unable to attend, the meeting will be recorded and shared on the TNRD YouTube page. Please refer to the TNRD's press release for further details.
Work continues to clean up the incident site. Containment booms remain in the water along the shore at the incident site.
The empty lumber beam car has been removed. One rail car, which is loaded with gypsum remains on site. The gypsum rail car had to be cut to pull it out of the water onto the slope. Work is planned to remove the gypsum and rail car from the site.
The SCAT team conducted assessments along the North shore today. Weather limited the area they could survey. Assessments will continue tomorrow. EEB staff continue to take part in the SCAT.
CPKC has received the November 7th water sampling results. CPKC report that water sampling results remain below BC Source Drinking Water Guidelines. Water sampling is ongoing.
A multi-agency information call was held at 18:00 today.
EEB staff will be at the incident site again tomorrow.
Further updates will be provided when more information becomes available.
November 8 - as of 21:00 hours
Work continues to clean up the incident site. Containment booms remain in the water along the shore at the incident site.
All the rail cars that were carrying Jet A1 (aviation) fuel have been removed. The empty rail cars that had residual gasoline have also been removed.
Work will continue to remove the remaining two rail cars that were carrying gypsum and the one empty lumber beam car.
The final calculation of lost product reported by CPKC is 70,536 Litres of Jet A1 (aviation) fuel, less than their preliminary estimation of 80,700 Litres of product lost. It is not uncommon for the final reported product loss to be different from the preliminary estimation. The final amount is confirmed after the material is offloaded, measured, and weighed, which gives a more accurate result.
The SCAT team conducted assessments today along the South shore and will begin assessments of the North shore tomorrow. EEB staff continue to take part in the SCAT.
CPKC has received the November 6th water sampling results. CPKC report that water sampling results remain below BC Source Drinking Water Guidelines. Water sampling is ongoing.
A multi-agency information call was held at 18:00 today.
EEB staff will be at the incident site again tomorrow.
Further updates will be provided when more information becomes available.
November 7 - as of 21:00 hours
Work continues to clean up the incident site. Containment booms remain in the water along the shore at the incident site.
A Transport Canada National Aerial Surveillance Program (NASP) flight occurred today. The NASP flight did not observe any visible sheen outside of the boom containment area. The NASP flight estimated there is less than 25 litres of fuel inside the boom containment area.
SCAT operations will continue to support shoreline assessment and cleanup planning.
Water sampling is ongoing. CPKC's lead environmental consultant noted that all samples remain below BC Source Drinking Water Guidelines.
A multi-agency information call was held at 18:00 today.
EEB staff will be at the incident site again tomorrow.
Further updates will be provided when more information becomes available.
November 6 - as of 21:00 hours
A Unified Command (UC) structure is being implemented to guide ongoing response and recovery efforts.
Work continues to clean up the incident site. Containment booms remain in the water along the shore at the incident site. An overflight was also undertaken today with representatives from CPKC and EEB. No visible sheen was observed on the lake today outside of the boom containment area.
CPKC's SCAT professional team has arrived on site and initiated a preliminary shoreline assessment in coordination with ECCC and EEB. SCAT operations will continue tomorrow to support shoreline assessment and clean up planning.
CPKC has received their water quality results from samples collected on November 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. CPKC's environmental consultant noted that all samples are within BC Source Drinking Water Guidelines. Water sampling efforts continued today with additional sites identified for sampling, including the communities of Fredrick and Walhachin.
Ongoing data collection from sampling events will continue to guide and inform future response actions.
A multi-agency information call was held at 18:00 today.
EEB staff will be at the incident site again tomorrow.
Further updates will be provided when more information becomes available.
November 5 - as of 21:00 hours
EEB staff were onsite today and oversaw water sampling and shoreline assessment.
CPKC has engaged a Shoreline Clean-up Assessment Technique (SCAT) professional and will be onsite tomorrow, November 6th.
CPKC's preliminary surface water quality results from samples collected on November 2nd and 3rd have been received and reviewed by Interior Health Authority.
Ongoing data collection from sampling events will continue to guide and inform future response actions.
CPKC completed product transfer from the one remaining rail car that was carrying aviation fuel. Preliminary estimates suggest approximately 68,000 litres of aviation fuel was released from this rail car to the environment prior to the production transfer. With the estimation from yesterday that 12,700 litres of aviation fuel was spilled from the other rail car, this brings CPKC's total preliminary estimation of product lost to 80,700 litres between the two rail cars that were carrying aviation fuel.
The three empty rail cars containing residual gasoline remain at the incident site. One is on the slope and two are in the water, secured to the land.
An Environmental Unit call was held at 16:00 today. A multi-agency coordination call was held at 18:00 today.
EEB staff will be at the incident site again tomorrow.
Further updates will be provided when more information becomes available.
November 4 - as of 21:00 hours
CPKC completed product transfer of aviation fuel from one of the rail cars today. The product was then removed from site. Preliminary estimates suggest approximately 12,700 litres of aviation fuel were released from the rail car to the environment prior to the production transfer.
Transfer operations for the second aviation fuel rail car is scheduled for tomorrow, November 5th.
Some sheen was observed outside the containment boom, attributed to windy conditions on site.
CPKC conducted additional sampling, including at the Tobiano water intake location. Sample results from today and previous days are still pending.
EEB staff conducted reconnaissance of the small community of Frederick, located across Kamloops Lake from the impact site. Fuel odor could be detected at the location.
A multi-agency coordination call was held at 18:00 tonight.
EEB staff will be at the incident site again tomorrow.
Further updates will be provided when more information becomes available.
November 3 - as of 21:00 hours
Work continued throughout the day on site. Increased wind activity impacted onsite conditions.
EEB staff participated in a boat-based reconnaissance today with representatives from CPKC, TNRD, and Skeetchestn.
Some sheen was observed escaping through the containment booms. CPKC crews on scene reinforced the containment booms and deployed additional booms downstream to capture the migrating sheen.
CPKC crews started clean up of the spilled material within the containment booms, utilizing skimming operations and peat moss as absorbent material.
CPKC carried out additional sampling today near downstream water intakes. Sample results from surface water sampling completed Sunday are pending.
CPKC is developing a waste management plan and sampling plan.
A multi-agency coordination call was held this evening.
CPKC has preparations underway to start the transfer of aviation fuel from derailed rail cars tomorrow, November 4th. Transport Canada and EEB staff will be at the incident site to monitor the transfer.
Further updates will be provided when more information becomes available.
November 2 - as of 21:00 hours
Work continued throughout the day to contain the site and begin clean up. All rail cars are within the containment area.
At the incident site there is a slope from the rail right-of-way down to Kamloops lake.
One rail car loaded with aviation fuel has been removed by CPKC. Two rail cars containing aviation fuel remain on the slope. Leaks from the two aviation fuel tank cars on the slope have been reduced to minor drips and have containment in place.
One empty rail car with potential gasoline residue remains in the lake. There is a second empty gasoline car that slide down slope this afternoon and is at the water’s edge. One empty gasoline rail car (containing residue) remains on the slope.
One rail car carrying gypsum remains partially submerged along the lake shoreline. Four remaining gypsum rail cars are along the rail right-of-way.
CPKC deployed additional containment boom this morning to extend coverage.
CPKC collected initial surface water samples. A further sampling plan is being developed.
A multi-agency coordination call was held this evening.
EEB staff will be at the incident site again tomorrow.
Further updates will be provided when more information becomes available.
November 2 - as of 11:00 hours
The Environmental Emergency Branch (EEB) was notified of a Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) train derailment. The incident occurred at approximately 19:00 on November 1st, near Cherry Creek, 20 kilometers west of Kamloops. There were no injuries. The cause of the derailment is under investigation.
The preliminary assessment is that one locomotive and approximately 17 cars, a mix of loaded and empty rail cars, were involved. Four of the cars are loaded with fuel, five loaded with gypsum, and one loaded with pulp products. The other rail cars are empty, including three that last contained gasoline.
Containment boom has been deployed at the site.
CPKC crews and equipment, including environmental teams, are on site conducting a full assessment and beginning work on clean up.
On the morning of November 2nd a coordination call was held. The coordination call had participation from CPKC, Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD), Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Transport Canada (TC), Interior Health Authority (IHA), First Nations Health Authority (FNHA), EEB, and Skeetchestn First Nation.
EEB staff have been deployed to the incident site.
Further updates will be provided when more information becomes available.