NEW YORK, December 30, 2025, 00:04 ET
- A derailment on the QNS&L line has halted rail traffic between Sept-Îles and Schefferville for an estimated 7–10 days, the mining company IOC said.
- Passenger service operated by Transport ferroviaire Tshiuetin has been suspended, with no return expected before at least seven days.
- CN Rail said a separate derailment in Winnipeg posed no public safety threat; cleanup and an investigation were continuing.
A derailment on the rail line linking Sept-Îles and Schefferville in Quebec’s Côte-Nord region has shut the route for up to 10 days, mining company IOC said on Monday. Passenger train service on the line has been suspended, and no injuries were reported.
The derailment closed the track between Sept-Îles, Labrador West and the Schefferville region for a minimum of seven days, forcing Transport ferroviaire Tshiuetin Inc. to cancel passenger trains, local media reported. The report described QNS&L as a subsidiary of Rio Tinto IOC and said Tshiuetin was working with shareholder communities to set up alternative travel options.
Tshiuetin said no return to service was planned before the end of a minimum seven-day interruption, adding the timeline could be adjusted depending on repair progress. The company said it was working with its three shareholder communities to help residents and workers return to their communities.
IOC said teams had been deployed to carry out the work and that measures were in place to support crews on the ground despite expected weather conditions. The company reiterated that no one was injured.
IOC also apologized for the disruption to communities during the year-end holiday period, according to a separate report.
QNS&L is commonly known by its French initials and takes its name from the Quebec North Shore and Labrador Railway. The derailment hit the line’s main track — the principal route trains rely on to move through a corridor.
The Sept-Îles–Schefferville corridor carries freight and also hosts passenger trains. Tshiuetin’s push to arrange alternatives for residents and workers underscored the dual role the service plays in moving both cargo and people.
In a separate incident, CN Rail said a train derailed in Winnipeg’s South Osborne area early Sunday near Winnipeg Transit’s Jubilee Station, according to Global News. CN reported no injuries, fires, leaks or dangerous goods and said there was no threat to public safety, adding the cause was under investigation.
Winnipeg Free Press cited CN spokeswoman Ashley Michnowski as saying there were “no reported dangerous goods, fires, injuries or leaks, nor is there any threat to public safety.” The paper said CN did not disclose what the train was carrying. Winnipeg Free Press
CN is one of Canada’s two major freight rail operators, alongside Canadian Pacific Kansas City, and both move bulk commodities and consumer goods across the country. Disruptions on regional lines such as QNS&L can also pinch smaller communities that rely on scheduled passenger runs.
Neither IOC nor Tshiuetin provided a cause for the Côte-Nord derailment in their statements, and both said the outage period could shift as work progresses. Companies involved said service would resume once repairs are complete.
Rail operators in Canada routinely face added strain in winter as equipment and tracks are exposed to cold and snow. For now, crews in Quebec and Manitoba are focused on clearing cars, repairing track and reopening lines.
