These photos were taken of a collision between CN locomotive 5461 and a parked car in North Vancouver at Barrow Street and Harbour Avenue. The driver of the car had chosen to parallel park too close to the track and was struck by the train as it passed.
The photographer advised that the driver was irate and almost threatening to the train crew. This was likely due to the driver being upset with himself for parking too close to the track.
Parking Near Railway Track
The Motor Vehicle Act only speaks about parking in relation to crossings:
189 (1) Except when necessary to avoid conflict with traffic or to comply with the law or the directions of a peace officer or traffic control device, a person must not stop, stand or park a vehicle as follows:
(i) within 15 m of the nearest rail of a railway crossing;
It is possible that the North Vancouver Street and Traffic Bylaw forbids parking in this location depending on the width of the pavement:
501.34 on the paved portion of any Highway where the pavement is 6 metres or less in width.
Train Stopping Distance
The locomotive was definitely the winner in this side swipe! Given the sight distance here it is easily possible that the engineer was not able to stop the train in time to avoid the collision.
Advice from CN
I contacted CN for advice and despite asking the same question in multiple forms was not able to get an answer about the minimum safe distance for parking beside the tracks. They stated that CN's property lines are generally 15.2 m (50') on either side, starting from the center line of the track. "Unauthorized access, including parking cars, constitutes trespass and can pose serious safety risks."
Learn More
For more railway safety information, please visit the Operation Lifesaver web site.
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