There were no injuries, but video capturing the collision is disturbing after a CN freight train struck a commercial motor vehicle east of Brighton on Friday, November 6, 2026.
The collision happened at approximately 11:30 a.m. at the railway crossing on Stoney Point Road, just south of County Road 2, near the boundary of the Municipality of Brighton and Quinte West.
The operator of the commercial motor vehicle told Today’s Northumberland that the truck had turned south onto Stoney Point Road in the hamlet of Smithfield when the wheels of the cab became stuck on the wooden railway crossing.
The driver believes the water that had accumulated on the wood crossing during the morning rainfall may have contributed to the truck becoming stuck.
After attempting to free the vehicle, the driver quickly realized the situation was serious and called the emergency number to have any approaching trains stopped.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time.
Video circulating on social media shows an eastbound CN freight train striking the cab of the commercial vehicle and throwing it into a ditch on the south side of the railway tracks.
On the north side of the tracks, a flatbed low trailer was re-positioned at the crossing.
Debris and damaged pieces of the trailer were scattered along the railway tracks following the collision.
Signs posted at the crossing clearly state, “No Stopping On Tracks” and “Railway Crossing Not Suitable For Low Bed Trailers.”
Municipality of Brighton Fire Services, Quinte West Fire Department, OPP, and CN Police responded to the incident. Despite the violent impact captured on video, there were no reported injuries.
The collision also caused significant disruption to passenger rail service, leaving two VIA Rail passenger trains stopped for hours at the Cobourg VIA station.
For some passengers, patience eventually ran out.
Four people decided to leave the station and make their way to rent a vehicle, planning to drive to Montreal. Others arranged alternative transportation, including taxis from Cobourg and surrounding communities.
Some passengers made the best of an unexpected delay by taking an unscheduled walking tour of Cobourg, visiting local restaurants and bars while waiting for the tracks to reopen.
VIA Rail organized a number of buses to transport passengers past the collision scene, where they would be able to board another passenger train in the Belleville area.
However, by the time the buses had been organized and arrived at the Cobourg station, the situation had changed.
The trains were given the go-ahead to continue eastbound, with the railway tracks reopening shortly after the buses arrived.
Among those waiting in Cobourg was Paul Romard, who had boarded a VIA Rail train in Oshawa and was traveling to Nova Scotia.
Romard said passengers were advised when boarding in Oshawa that the rail line was closed east of Brighton.
Despite that information, the train continued to Cobourg, where it remained stopped for hours.
“I’ve missed my train in Montreal now,” Romard said with a laugh.
“Even in Oshawa, we were already an hour and a half behind.”
“They already knew about the accident.”
Romard said the delay didn’t particularly bother him, although he could see the frustration among other passengers.
“I’ve seen 15 people leave and go rent cars. People don’t want to miss their flights.”
With a connection in Montreal, Romard was confident he had missed his connecting train.
Having traveled to the East Coast approximately 25 times over the years, Romard said he has never had a train arrive on time, adding that he has learned to take the delays in stride.
But not everyone shared his patience.
“Some people were pissed. But it’s not like it’s VIA Rail’s fault.”
For Romard, the most important thing was that nobody had been injured in the collision.
He eventually had time for one last cigarette before boarding the train, which departed the Cobourg VIA station at 3:42 p.m.
Even then, timing wasn’t working out for everyone.
As the train was slowly leaving the station, one woman standing with her luggage was waiting for a ride to Belleville. Her ride arrived just as the train was pulling away.
Today’s Northumberland has contacted both VIA Rail and CN Rail for additional information and an update on the collision.
Further details will be provided as they become available.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
