Train Derailment Elkford
Last updated on January 20, 2026Disclaimer:
- 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 | January 13, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Name | DGIR: 260172 |
| Source | Rail cars |
| Nearest Community | Elkford, B.C. |
| Spilled Content | Coal |
| Who is involved |
Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), Ministry of Environment and Parks (ENV), Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK), Interior Health (IH), Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MOTT), Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR). |
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
January 14
Response and clean up activities continue at the incident site.
The Fording River Road was opened to single-lane traffic on January 13, 2026.
The rail line was reopened this morning.
An ENV Response officer attended the site and assessed site conditions and response.
No spilled coal has migrated from the incident location.
The spilled coal will be returned to the originating mine site. The rail cars will be scrapped and taken to a recycling facility.
The incident has stabilized. An ENV Response Officer continues to monitor the response and cleanup activities. No further updates are anticipated.
January 13
On January 13, 2026, the Ministry of Environment and Parks (ENV) received a report of a train derailment near Elkford, B.C..
A total of 22 rail cars carrying coal were involved in the derailment. The rail cars and spilled coal impacted the rail right-of-way and Fording River Road.
Fording River Road was closed in both directions.
No impacts to the Fording River were reported.
Response crews, heavy equipment and an environmental consultant have been mobilized to the incident site.
An ENV Response Officer is monitoring response activities and plans to attend the incident site tomorrow, January 14, 2026.
