(The Associated Press circulated the following story on December 29.)
COLLYER, Kan. — Federal investigators suspect a mechanical problem may have caused the third train derailment in Trego County in less than two months.
But inspectors with the Federal Railroad Administration also plan to inspect the tracks because it’s possible a defect in the rail itself triggered the air-brake malfunction, said agency spokesman Warren Flatau.
The latest derailment, which happened around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday near the northwestern Kansas town of Collyer, caused 23 coal-filled cars to jump the tracks. The eastbound train was 105 cars long. No one was injured.
Once the cause of that derailment is determined, railroad authorities hope to determine whether there is a common pattern with the two November derailments, said Mark Davis, a spokesman for the Union Pacific Railroad.
Though the main lines are routinely inspected, he said faulty tracks contributed to a Nov. 29 derailment of 41 cars near WaKeeney and a Nov. 4 derailment of 22 cars near Ogallah.
“What’s the important part is to determine the causes of these,” Davis said.