London fire had warned residents to stay indoors and keep their windows closed due to heavy smoke. Stunned drivers shared video of the train’s cars fully ablaze driving through populated neighbourhoods.
London’s fire department says an investigation is underway after an overnight fire engulfed five train cars on a Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) train.
The train was going eastbound over Oxford Street when multiple 911 calls came in at 10:49 p.m.
CPR crews disconnected the locomotives and London fire initially warned residents in the area of Richmond and Pall Mall Streets to stay indoors and keep their windows closed due to heavy smoke.
A video shared to X, formerly Twitter, appeared to show the train on fire as it travelled across an overpass next to a road with moving traffic. Heavy smoke and orange flames could be seen filling the night sky.
Around 10:30 p.m., Chad Lewis was driving home with his son when he saw the blaze in the area of Oxford Street between Wharncliffe Road and Talbot Street.
“I was a little nervous as I had no idea of the contents of the train cars,” Lewis told the Star. “Hopefully nothing combustible.”
“From my vantage point, I thought it was clear that the conductor was unaware that the train was on fire,” Lewis said when asked what went through his mind when first seeing the engulfed train.
“Why else would the train enter a heavily populated area?” he said.
London fire says there were no injuries.
Fire crews cleared the scene but some stayed behind to continue dosing smouldering wooden railway ties at Adelaide Yard, London fire said on X.
There is an estimated damage of $25,000 to rail cars and $10,000 to a Drewlo Holding Building in the area.