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Tag: train derailed

  • Colorado Derailment Causes Minor Oil Leak

    A 100-car Pacific Union train derailed west of La Salle, Colo. on Friday at around 8:00 am. The train had been loaded in Windsor with Niobrara crude oil that was bound for New York.

    Union Pacific Railroad sent crews to the derailment site where they spent much of the afternoon working to clean up and contain the mess.

    No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.

    Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis said that road traffic was not be affected by the derailment. Davis expects any inconveniences to rail traffic to be minor.

    “It’s on our line that doesn’t see much use,” said Davis. “It’s off the main line that goes through Greeley. It’s not impacting operations that greatly.”

    Of the six cars that went off the tracks only one leaked oil.

    There was initial concern about an environmental issue, but fortunately the spill had been safely contained in a ditch off the roadway. The nearby South Platte River was not threatened by the oil leak.

    Though Davis told reporters that he couldn’t say how much oil was being leaked, an Environmental Protection Agency official said that the car was losing oil at a rate of 20 gallons to 50 gallons per minute.

    The car was carrying a total of 28,000 gallons of oil.

    The crew managed to contain the leak by vacuuming the contents directly from the train car. A second vacuum recovered oil that had been spilled.

    Craig Myers, the on-sight coordinator for the EPA, told the Denver Post that the Union Pacific Railroad company got lucky in that the damage caused by the derailment was “minimal”.

    Colorado Democratic Sen. Mark Udall commented about the derailment and spill. The senator feels strongly that the industry needs better regulations when it comes to the handling and transportation of crude oil.

    Post by Protect Youngstown.

    The New York Times reported that the Department of Transportation is working on updating safety standards for train cars, many of which have been in service since the 1960s.

    Image via CBS Denver, Facebook

  • Train Derailment in Boston Was Speed Related

    After a Boston Green Line underground subway derailed, at least 10 people were injured on Monday, mostly with minor injuries. Only one person was said to have sustained serious injuries, according to Boston EMT.

    EMS officials say the 10 injured people were transported to the hospital after the derailment and most were treated for neck and back injuries. The train’s driver was treated and released, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Spokesperson Joe Pesaturo said.

    Pesaturo told FOX 25 the first car of a two-car D train derailed and struck a wall. The train was bound for Riverside at the time of the accident.

    After an immediate official investigation, it was determined that speed was a “contributing factor” in the derailment, and the trolley operator, Sydley Gardner, has been taken off the job, pending an investigation, according to Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority officials.

    The operator, Gardener, a 48-year-old man who has been employed for five years, is now on paid leave pending further investigation.

    “A thorough inspection of the track and signal systems found neither defects nor anomalies,” said MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo. “Investigators continue to take a close look at the performance of the motor person who was operating the train at the time.”

    Surprisingly, Gardner has a long history of motor vehicle driving infractions, discovered after pulling his records from the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, including speeding, failure to stop, and several license suspensions for lack of payment.

    In 2008, his date of hire, law did not require a driving background check for this specific position, so this information was not on his record.

    “There was an extremely loud smash, like when we came off the tracks, when I think we jackknifed,” passenger Caleb Dovel said.

    Further injuries were sustained when a second train slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting the first train, tossing passengers around.

    “Everybody initially ran off the train. I think that was more scary because then we were trapped under ground and off the train,” Dovel said. “People were very lucky. It could have been a lot worse.”

    Officials worked through the night on Monday to clean up debris and clear tracks in time for the Tuesday am commute.

    Image via YouTube