Surrey Coal Train Derailment Underscores Urgency of North Vancouver Chlorine Facility Vote

Rail Watch founder and East Palestine disaster survivor Jess Conard warns that what derailed in Surrey last week was coal - but what moves through North Vancouver by rail is chlorine, a toxic inhalation hazard

February 17, 2026 8:00 AM EST | Source: Rail Watch

North Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 17, 2026) - On February 5, 2026 a Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) coal train derailed 20 cars near Colebrook Road and 125A Street in South Surrey, leaving what local MLA Brent Chapman described as "twisted carnage." No injuries were reported, and no hazardous materials were released. But for communities living alongside rail corridors that carry far more dangerous cargo, this recent derailment is a stark reminder of what's at stake.

On February 24, 2026 the District of North Vancouver Council will vote on whether to rezone the Chemtrade chlorine facility at 100 Amherst Avenue - a decision that would permit the continued transport of over 1,000 railcars of chlorine traveling through BC's residential neighborhoods. Chlorine is classified by the District of North Vancouver and Canada as a Toxic Inhalation Hazard (TIH), the highest-risk category for chemical rail transport. Unlike coal, a chlorine release does not spill - it creates a poisonous, and deadly, gas cloud, potentially exposing 100,000 people in highly populated areas.

"Train derailments are regular and predictable. The February 5 derailment in Surrey is exactly the kind of event that should make every community along a rail corridor ask: what if those cars had been carrying something other than coal?" said Jess Conard, Executive Director of Rail Watch. "Three years ago, a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed near my home in East Palestine, Ohio. My family has suffered from chronic skin rashes, permanent eye damage and asthma. Seventy-four percent of my community members tested were positive for the chemical that spilled and was burned. Many of the businesses have closed. The District of North Vancouver has a chance to make a different choice before something like that happens there."

Rail Watch, the national rail safety organization Conard founded in the wake of the East Palestine, Ohio disaster, works with at-risk communities across North America to turn rail safety concerns into action. The organization notes that an average of three train derailments occur every day, and that rail safety legislation in both the United States and Canada remains stalled despite growing public concern.

The February 24 public hearing represents a critical decision point for the District of North Vancouver. The Chemtrade facility originally agreed to a 2030 sunset clause to end liquid chlorine operations at the site. The proposed rezoning would effectively reverse that commitment, locking in the continued rail transport of TIH materials through residential areas for decades to come.

"The Surrey derailment should be a wake-up call," Conard said. "Council members voting on February 24 need to ask themselves two questions: are we prepared for what happens when it's not coal, and is this preventable?"

About Rail Watch
Rail Watch is a national advocacy and education organization focused on preventing train derailment disasters. Founded by Jess Conard, a survivor of the 2023 East Palestine, Ohio chemical disaster, Rail Watch works with at-risk communities, labor unions, environmental groups, and government agencies to bridge the gap between community concern and railroad safety action. Rail Watch is a fiscally-sponsored organization of Non-Profit Partners, a core subsidiary of the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies.

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Contact: Jess Conard, Rail Watch | contact@railwatch.net | 614-905-7254

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/283954

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Source: Rail Watch

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