CPKC’s automated replacement for human inspectors missed dozens of defects: U.S. agency

Transport Canada already allows the automated checks deemed not ‘consistent with railroad safety’ in U.S.

31 Jul 2026 • 5 min read

An employee boards a Canadian Pacific Railway locomotive at a yard in Calgary in 2022.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City's application to replace human inspectors with automation along certain potash train routes was rejected by U.S. regulators after that country's railroad safety agency found dozens of problems with trains inspected by the technology. (The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh)

Carly Penrose

Carly is a Toronto-based journalist. She holds a master of journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University. Her work has appeared in the National Post, This Magazine and The Canadian Press.

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