CN has started to allocate crews to the Five Mile Bridge for the cleanup and repair following Wednesday’s collapse.
There is no word how long it will take.
No train traffic between Fort Frances and Thunder Bay can operate without the bridge.
Transport Canada says it is also monitoring the situation.
In an email to Acadia News, Sau Sau Liu, Senior Communications Advisor, says the agency has been in contact with CN to gather information.
She says the situation is being monitored by several departments, including rail, marine, and navigable waters.
Under the Rail Safety Act, it is the railway’s responsibility for the inspection and maintenance of its infrastructure, equipment and operations.
Liu says in her email that “should violations of the Rail Safety Act be identified, the department will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action.”
CN says it is still investigating and has not revealed a cause for the collapse.
The lift bridge is also a key passage on Rainy Lake for large vessels.
“Transport Canada’s Navigation Protection Program is currently assessing impacts to marine navigation under the Canadian Navigable Waters Act,” states Liu in the email.
Meantime, boaters are being asked to stay clear of the area until further notice.
