COLUMBUS, Mont. — A bridge collapsed beneath a Montana Rail Link train Saturday morning, sending cars carrying asphalt and molten sulphur into the Yellowstone River and creating drinking-water issues downstream.
The Billings Gazette reports the accident occurred about 6:45 a.m.; the Stillwater County Department of Emergency Services says three cars of hot asphalt and four cars of sulphur entered the river. Other tank cars carrying petroleum products and hydrogen sulfate were in the train’s consist but did not enter the water, according to an MRL statement.
No one was injured, Stillwater County emergency officials said.
There was no immediate indication what caused the bridge collapse. The Gazette reported that investigators on the scene said it will take a lengthy investigation to sort out what happened, given that wreckage from the train is badly mangled and much of it is currently under water.
“The present focus of operations is safety responding to the emergency, controlling all releases, and mitigating impacts,” the railroad said in its statement. “ MRL will work with local, state, and federal partners to assess impacts to natural resources and to develop appropriate cleanup, removal, and restoration efforts.”
The current high water level in the river will help dilute and disperse the chemicals, but also made it impossible to contain the spill with a boom, said Columbus Fire Chief Rich Cowger.
Water treatment plants and other users of river water, such as irrigation districts, are closing flood gates and taking other measures. Officials in Billings, about 40 miles downstream, were planning to test the water before it reached the city to determine its chemical content, and were prepared to briefly shut down the water plant if necessary. The water with the spilled chemicals was expected to reach the city about 8 p.m.
The Associated Press reports that elsewhere in Yellowstone County, which includes Billings, officials had asked residents to conserve water and said they were instituting emergency measures at water treatment facilities.
The water involved in the accident is flowing away from Yellowstone National Park, which is to the southwest.
No information was immediately available on how long MRL’s main line might be closed.
For the interested ones; there is no rail or train service to Yellowstone National Park. The closest Amtrak service is Salt Lake City, Utah.
The only known transportation from Salt Lake City, Utah or Idaho Falls, Idaho to Yellowstone National Park at West Yellowstone, Montana (West Entrance) or Jackson Hole, Wyoming (South Entrance) is the Salt Lake City Express.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
Almost three months ago, on the morning of Sunday, April 2, 2023, a westbound MRL freight train derailed at Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort in Paradise, Montana. About 25 cars derailed, including cases of canned and bottled beer, clay powder and one with highly flammable gas (alternately described as butane or propane); some cars tumbled into the Clark Fork River, and others derailed in the nearby tunnel. There were no injuries, fires or release of hazardous materials. Strong winds blowing the clay powder appeared like smoke and guest cabins were evacuated as a precaution. As the derailment site was only accessible by water, the fire district’s water rescue team ferried responders across the river in a small boat.
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While there is no immediate threat to Yellowstone County at the moment, the sheriff’s office said, the incident left some residents concerned about the vulnerability of their chief water supply.
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Thank God it wasnt a passenger train. The first thing i thought of when i saw picture was the Bayou Canot disaster with the Sunset Limited
Just from looking at the pic and the bridge pier on the far left I’d say scouring also. Things can look just fine on the surface.
RON: No doubt you’ve shared your findings with the NTSB.
Let’s see when the depot coffee shop opens, hopefully in the next couple of weeks before my vacation. A cup of coffee then the new bike trail. I’ve been riding the new Fox River Trail quite a bit, an alternative to walking the bicycle on the dirt path between Foxbrook Park and Springdale Road.
The river was swollen with recent heavy rains, although it is unclear whether that contributed to the bridge collapse. Kelly Hitchcock of the Columbus Water Users shut off the flow of river water into an irrigation ditch downstream from the collapsed bridge to prevent contents from the tank cars from reaching nearby farmland.
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“Track repairs have been made enabling access to begin cleanup of the affected cars,” Montana Rail Link said.
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Find it strange that most of train made it across. T&E must be considered very lucky.
One more example of corporate cutbacks in staffing, no doubt. Record flooding in 2022. High water in 2023. Why spend the money on a bridge inspection.? It hasn’t failed in a hundred years ….
Do we know who was responsible for bridge inspection, owner BNSF or tenant MRL?
A man I know is planning a trip on the Empire Builder in a couple of weeks. I will inform him that freight congestion on the High Line is going from really bad to far worse.
Bridge scour is an issue with piers and abutments built on spread footings. Given the time frame of original construction, that is a very likely reason for the collapse. Underwater divers are available for inspections and specifically to look for scour. Increased river flow from recent rains would increase scour as well.
Seems like no one was inspecting this bridge (gotta wonder about the condition of the others on this line). MRL (and BNSF when they take it back over soon) is going to be on the hook for a huge amount of $.
Will this be a big hit on MRL’s profit of the sale? Definitely a problem for the legal eagles to sort out.
When was BNSF going to take that line back? The one that now has a large gap in it.
January first next year resume operations
BNSF has currently an inactive line from Great Falls to Helena, they may look at reopening it. That bridge span, including the piers will have to be replaced in my humble opinion. That probably would take 6+ months.
Looks to me like a pier washed out.
My exact thoughts yesterday as I was looking at the pics.
Not that it’s a good comparison but I read a parallel road bridge was removed a few years ago due to scowling, appears that pier may have suffered also from the power of the river.