Tuesday marks the 25th anniversary of one of the worst train disasters in Canadian history. Twenty-three people were killed in a collision between a freight train and a passenger train near Hinton in February of 1986.
Tuesday's memorial was held at the site of the crash just north of Highway 16 about 17 kilometres east of Hinton.
Twenty-three people were killed and 71 were injured when a Via Rail passenger train collided head-on with a CN Train.
An investigation later named human error the cause of the crash.
"It is a constant reminder for us as to why we do what we do when it comes to safety" said Catherine Kaloutsky, Via Rail spokesperson.
CN Constable Bob Greer describes the scene as total devastation.
"It was something that you don't see in this world."
Kenneth Cuttle was a passenger on the Via Rail train. He says he helped two others out, and then jumped.
"Just dropped there, rolled over and looked back at the coach where we jumped from and it was incinerated immediately," he said.
A monument now stands where a massive pile of wreckage and debris covered the area 25 years ago.
It remains the worst train disaster in Alberta's history.
With files from Bill Fortier
