LANCASTER, Minn. — A section of U.S. Route 59 remains closed near the Canadian border more than two weeks after the derailment of a CPKC freight train, and clean-up efforts will keep it closed for most of another week.
The derailment of 24 cars of the CPKC train took place on May 31 about 9½ miles south of the Canadian border [see “CP train derails in Minnesota …,” Trains News Wire, June 1, 2023]. Subsequent information determined that included 13 tank cars carrying hazardous materials. KFGO Radio reports that Kittson County, Minn., Emergency Director Scott Olson says the contents of those cars are now being removed, and the cars’ proximity to the highway is a safety issue.
Once the cars are emptied, they will be cleaned, dismantled, and trucked to a salvage business in Thief River Falls, Minn., about 60 miles away.
Cars containing grain and non-hazardous cargo have been moved away from the site. The rail line was reopened the day after the derailment, Olson said.
The Kittson County Enterprise reports Route 59 will remain closed through June 21; once the derailment is cleared, the highway will require repairs. Vehicles continue to use an approximately 10-mile detour involving State Route 174 and County Road 5.
Most wreck remediation now uses off-road vehicles. These vehicles can access the wreck from the side as well as the ends.
Scrapping the cars versus making them movable to a shop and then repairing is the RR’s decision,
thank you Phillip. Cost and benefit ratio cannot be violated. Still, seems wasteful. But, I am a dentist and have a predilection to to saving what I can. Blessings. Andy
So CPkc has excess cash laying around to cut the cars up rather than attempting to salvage them. I can understand the HAZMAT cars but not the others? And ironic that the clean up is not rail based but truck based. Maybe trucks should have been used in the first place. The outward appearance of this process is disturbing.