Late Tuesday afternoon, the Transportation Safety Board authorized clean-up operations could go ahead after a CN Rail train derailment north of Saskatoon Tuesday morning.  30 of the 52 cars in the train derailed at Highway 11 just north of Wanuskewin Road intersection.

The train cars have spilled grain, not dangerous goods, so there is no danger although there was a fire affecting one of the locomotives from a diesel leak, but it was fully extinguished by 1 p.m.  Saskatoon Assistant Fire Chief Wayne Rodger says heavy equipment will move the derailed cars away. As of 6 p.m., there was no timeline for when the rail cars would be cleared.

In the meantime, the City of Saskatoon says northbound traffic from Saskatoon is being detoured to Highway 12 past Martensville, then to Highway 305 and back to Highway 11 to Warman and further north. Wanuskewin Road northbound is closed just past Penner Road. Access to Cathedral Bluffs is still available. The Saskatoon Fire Department says there are message boards in Saskatoon guiding drivers heading north from Saskatoon.
They are on Idylwyld Drive, Millar Avenue and Wanuskewin Road. The Saskatchewan Highway Hotline is also posting updates and those can be accessed through the NEWS tab right here at cjwwradio.com.