Saturday, May 23, 2015

23 RAIL CARS OF A UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD TRAIN DERAIL IN BELLE PLAINE, IOWA






MAY 23, 2015

BELLE PLAINE, IOWA (KWWL)

UPDATE: A Union Pacific spokesman says 23 rail cars derailed just before 11:30 p.m. Friday in Belle Plaine.

Mark Davis with the Union Pacific Railroad says the train was traveling from North Platte, Nebraska to Chicago, with 125 rail cars.


Davis says 23 rail cars derailed at Belle Plaine, with no injuries. He confirms some of the derailed cars were carrying things like soda ash, lumber, animal feed and frozen fish. Davis says five of the derailed cars were empty.


Crews and heavy equipment have been arriving overnight, and will work through the day to remove the cars from the track and replace any damaged track.


Davis says the cause of the derailment is still under investigation.


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A train has derailed along the Union Pacific Railroad in Belle Plaine.


According to the Benton County Sheriff's Office, the derailment happened near Pierce Lumber Inc., located at 1629 E. 13th St.


The Sheriff's Office says Belle Plaine Police responded to the incident. They don't know what the train was carrying at this point, but have no reports of any spills.

Authorities say no injuries were reported, and the cause of the derailment is still unknown.


The Sheriff's Office says as of 5 a.m., a Union Pacific crew remains on site to investigate.