(The following story by Sara Kincaid appeared on the Bismarck Tribune website July 12, 2010.)
BISMARCK, N.D. — The main line of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad in North Dakota remains closed until likely sometime this morning because of a coal train that derailed Saturday afternoon east of Bismarck.
“We’re working to clear the cars and coal,” BNSF spokeswoman Amy McBeth said.
The cause of the derailment is still under investigation, she said. There were 31 cars that went off the track, 29 of which were on their sides. Two remained upright. The train originated in Montana and was headed to Minnesota when it derailed near Apple Creek.
Reopening the tracks is a priority for the railroad. Until it reopens, other trains will be rerouted or delayed. Cleanup will continue for several days, including the removal of coal that fell into a nearby body of water, McBeth said.
Bismarck Rural Fire and the Burleigh County Sheriff’s Office were on scene at about 4 p.m. Saturday and were there for about three hours. The derailment happened between 66th Street and 93rd Street. No one was injured. The derailment caused a two-acre grass fire.