DIX, Nebraska — Two Union Pacific trains derailed today about 150 miles apart on the railroad’s Overland Route main line in Nebraska, with a fire resulting from one of the incidents.
KNOP-TV reports that several fire departments responded to a derailment in Dix, about 30 miles from the Wyoming state line, at 6:50 a.m. The Kimball County Sheriff’s Office has asked the public to stay away from the area. An image on the Sheriff’s Department Facebook page indicates an intermodal train is involved, with some containers burning. News Channel Nebraska reports about 60 double-stacked containers were involved in the derailment, and that no determination had been made whether any hazardous materials were involved.
The second incident occurred about 10:30 a.m. at Airport Road near U.S. Route 30, just east of North Platte, according to KLKN-TV. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office reports about 25 carloads of corn were involved, and that North Airport Road is likely to be closed for several days.
Union Pacific has confirmed that no injuries were involved in either incident, and says the cause of each derailment is under investigation.
— Updated at 5:30 p.m. CT with additional details.
Use to do train photography near the tracks, also thought it would be neat to live near active rail line. NOT ANYMORE! Wall Street has the RR’s on a death spiral & it’s not going to be a happy ending for the RR’s.
UP has an overhead signal tower at Airport Road with a series of arrays for several types of detection next to it for all three tracks. Judging by the pictures I would assume it all got wiped out by the grain hoppers.
What a mess. Guessing this has fouled the mainline out of North Platte going east for a few days while they clean it up.
This blocked crossing pile up should be a wakeup call for us railfans. Any car, truck, or worse a school bus parked behind the stop marker would have been obliterated and all killed. I have taken efforts to not be stopped by a train closer to a RR crossing than 100 feet at all possible. Of course, it is sometimes impossible but not often.
Have you noticed how some videos of crossing incidents show video takers are way back from crossings now? Or even some backing up?