Canadian Pacific employee is killed in St. Paul rail yard incident

An employee in a St. Paul rail yard was killed in a workplace incident, authorities said Sunday.

March 27, 2016 at 11:34PM
Locomotives traveled on tracks next to Highway 61 near the Canadian Pacific rail yard by Pig's Eye Lake.
Locomotives traveled on tracks next to Highway 61 near the Canadian Pacific rail yard by Pig's Eye Lake. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

An employee in a St. Paul rail yard was killed in a workplace incident, authorities said Sunday.

The fatality occurred about 12:30 a.m. Saturday in the Canadian Pacific rail yard along Childs Road during the worker's shift change, police said.

The victim's identity has yet to be released. He was pronounced dead at nearby Regions Hospital.

"Our thoughts are with the employee's family and friends at this time," said Canadian Pacific spokesman Marty Cej. "Out of respect for their privacy, we are not releasing additional details about the employee or the incident."

Andy Cummings, another Canadian Pacific spokesman, said the company was not ready to address the circumstances surrounding the death.

Cej said Canadian Pacific will "conduct a thorough investigation into the incident," and in the meantime is offering counseling to employees affected by the co-worker's death.

This rail yard, one of a handful in the vicinity, is located just east of the Mississippi River and to the southeast of downtown St. Paul.

Canadian Pacific Railroad wants to expand its rail yard southeast of St. Paul to accommodate 2-mile-long trains by filling in about 7 acres of wetlands. The plan has drawn fire from environmental groups, because the area is home to endangered Balndings turtles and is across from the Pig's Eye Island Heron Rookery Scientific Area. Neighbors also oppose it. But the railroad is shifting more operations from Chicago and Canada to St. Paul. ] JIM GEHRZ • jgehrz@startribune.com / St
A Canadian Pacific Railroad worker was killed at the company’s rail yard in St. Paul on Saturday. Authorities have not released the victim’s identity. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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Paul Walsh

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Paul Walsh is a general assignment reporter at the Minnesota Star Tribune. He wants your news tips, especially in and near Minnesota.

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