(The following appeared on the KUOW website on March 21, 2011.)
Crews are working to clean up a train derailment in North Idaho that’s brought passenger and freight traffic to a halt. The incident damaged the main line that runs from the Northwest to Chicago.
The westbound BNSF Railway train was hauling wheat to Kalama, Wash., when something happened on a remote stretch of track along the Kootenai River. Fifteen cars overturned, spilling 97 loads of grain.
Luckily, the cars tipped toward the rock face of the canyon wall, rather than toward the river.
BNSF officials say they still don’t know what caused the derailment.
Company spokesman Gus Melonas says the area is so remote, they’ve had to send crews in by jet boat.
The full story is available at www.kuow.org.