(The following report appeared on the Idaho State Journal website on December 12.)
POCATELLO, Idaho — No one was injured in a train derailment Thursday morning at the Union Pacific switching station.
Six cars and a locomotive derailed Thursday morning at about 7:30 a.m. when a chain of 29 freight cars rolled down the track, hitting the locomotive, Union Pacific spokesman John Bromley said.
The locomotive was at the east end of the station, waiting to pull into the switching area. Two crewmen were on the locomotive, but noticed the freight cars coming toward them on the track and jumped away before the cars hit.
The cars were empty. Bromley would not say how much damage was caused by the derailment, calling it proprietary information.
At least one main track was expected to reopen by noon Thursday. How the 29 freight cars got loose is unknown, and the accident is under investigation.
Bromley said derailments are uncommon. When they occur, however, they can be deadly. Archie Leroy Chandler, 54, of Pocatello died April 11 when a derailed car fell on top of him.