Two train locomotives and two rail cars ? which were stuck on an unstable railroad bridge in Sumner County ? were removed from the tracks safely Tuesday night, according to a report from KAKE News.
Lead cars of the 66-car train came to a stop on the bridge earlier in the day when an engineer noticed the bridge was bowing and called for personnel to evacuate. The incident occurred near Caldwell as the train was southbound across the Chikaskia River.
Tom Lange, a spokesperson for Union Pacific, told KSOK that heavy rains are expected to have played a role in damaging the bridge. The Caldwell area has recently received more than 8 inches of rain and the river’s level was elevated, causing more stress on the bridge.
Union Pacific brought in another locomotive to pull two rail cars and a locomotive from the bridge from the north. The lead locomotive was pulled from the south and taken off of the bridge.
No cars derailed and concern about hazardous materials on the train ? diesel fuel and a car with anhydrous ammonia ? never became a problem.
Union Pacific will investigate the cause of the incident and Lange said all bridges undergo routine inspection. That’s especially true when river waters rise, he said.
