COAHOMA, Texas — Traffic along the Union Pacific Railroad Company’s tracks has resumed following clean-up efforts after Tuesday afternoon’s derailment that released hydrochloric acid, the Midland Reporter-Telegram reported.
The accident occurred at about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, approximately half a mile north of Interstate 20 at mile marker 192 to a train heading from Fort Worth to Odessa, said John Bromley, director of affairs for the Union Pacific.
The track reopened at 10 a.m. Wednesday after authorities cleared the track and neutralized the spilled hydrochloric acid with lime (calcium oxide), Bromley said.
One of the two cars transporting the acid spilled about half of its load through a three-by-five-inch hole in the tank caused by the derailment. The other tank did not lose any acid. Depending on the tank, a car can hold 20,000 or more gallons of liquid, Bromley said.
Normally 10 trains use the track a day. Nine of the trains were held and one train on its way to California was detoured in Sweetwater using the Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks, Bromley said.
Debris will continue to be removed from the scene over the next few days and Union Pacific will continue to investigate the derailment, though sabotage is not probable, Bromley said.
At one point, there were approximately 65 people at the scene, said Tommy Sullivan, Howard County Fire Chief.
“Usually when you bring all of these people together, it’s a test of wills, but everyone worked well together. It ran smoothly,” said Sullivan.
The agencies involved in Tuesday’s incident included Howard County Fire Department, Howard County Sheriff’s deputies, Howard County Volunteer Hazardous Material team, Howard County Road and Bridge Department, Texas Department of Traffic, Department of Public Safety troopers and helicopter, emergency management members and the Salvation Army, Sullivan said.