(The following story by Laura McVicker appeared on The Columbian website on July 28.)
COLUMBIA, Wash. — A BNSF train went off the tracks at a Vancouver connection station early Tuesday morning, the second train derailment in two days without a known cause, officials said.
The train originating from South Dakota, carrying corn and bound for Kalama, went off the tracks at about 12:30 a.m., close to the intersection of West Eighth Street and King Street.
The accident occurred as the train was connecting to Seattle-bound tracks from the Columbia River Gorge route, according to BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas.
Four cars went off the tracks, spilling several loads of corn. Since then, crews have been working to clean the spillage and re-rail the cars, Melonas said. The tracks should be cleared by 9 p.m.
The accident did not cause delays for Amtrak service, and only minor delays for BNSF trains, which were detoured into Portland to make connections, he said.
This morning’s derailment and Saturday’s at a Vancouver rail yard are not believed to be related, and Melonas couldn’t pinpoint any factors that would cause either.
“It’s a matter of coincidence,” he said. “They were completely different circumstances.”
BNSF officials are investigating the causes of both incidents.
On Saturday, several cars making connections in a rail yard beneath the Mill Plain overpass derailed and collided with a BNSF train on a nearby main line. Crews made repairs, removed spillage, and tracks were opened by Sunday morning.
Officials determined the Saturday derailment occurred after a car was attempting to connect with another car, but missed and went of the tracks, colliding with other cars.