(The following story by Kenny Klein was published in the January 6 online issue of the Desert Sun.)
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — A broken railroad track may be responsible for the derailment of nine freight cars — including one carrying cottonseed oil — north of Highway 111 near Tipton Road on Sunday, Union Pacific officials reported.
The official cause won’t be available for several weeks until the National Transportation Safety Board investigation is complete, but vandalism has not been ruled out, officials said.
No injuries were reported, said California Department of Forestry/Riverside County spokeswoman Kimerli Lanier. The amount of cottonseed oil spilled and estimated damage were not available.
The derailment happened about 1 p.m. when nine freight cars disconnected from a 100-car Union Pacific train that was traveling westbound from Fort Worth, Texas, to Colton, officials said. The cars left the track, overturning into the desert. Dry dog food and corn starch also spilled.
The 91 other freight cars were not damaged.
Hazardous-material teams and county heath officials raced to the site but determined no hazards existed, officials said.
The track was expected to reopen after repairs by 4 a.m. today. The damaged freight cars also are expected to be removed by today, railroad officials said.
This is the second time there has been a train derailment in the Tipton Road and Highway 111 area. In July 1999, human error caused a head-on train wreck between two locomotives that derailed several engines, spilling 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel.