Still just theories why train derailed near Brownsville

Cleanup crews expected
there through Friday

BROWNSVILLE, Minn. – Still only theories on why a train derailed near Brownsville on Jan. 26 that sent six cars into the Mississippi River.

The main part of the derailment cleanup, but crews will still be there until Friday.

Some theories about how the accident happened, include charges that the track was worn down by too much hauling of frac-sand or Bakken crude oil through the area.

Houston County emergency manager Kurt Kuhlers blames this winter’s extreme weather.

“During that time, those rails are expanding and contracting and it could cause a frost heave or something that’s going to, you know, obviously cause an issue to the rail. And they believe, that’s what occurred this time,” Kuhlers said.

The last of the derailed cars on the Canadian Pacific train was taken from the crash scene Wednesday, Kuhlers noted.

“They have a team of environmental services down there, yet, that are still doing some cleanup of the rock,” Kuhlers said. “They had to build a platform in there in order to get specialized equipment in there to offload some of those cars.”

Fifteen cars, in all, went off the tracks. Of the six that went into the Mississippi, apparently only soybean oil leaked into the water. Sodium chlorate also spilled, but that from one car still on land.

Much of the remaining environmental cleanup will be handled by the Fish and Wildlife Service and Kuhlers has confidence in Canadian Pacific’s ability to restore the tracks to safe condition.

“I do know in past experiences with some of the railroad they’re very good about their maintenance and upkeep on those rails,” Kuhlers said.