(The Grand Junction Sentinel posted the following article on its website on June 22.)
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Five cars on an eastbound Union Pacific freight train derailed Tuesday morning near Kremmling, about 118 miles west of Denver, halting almost every train from Salt Lake City to Denver until about 7 p.m., Union Pacific officials said.
The cause of the derailment is still under investigation, according to John Bromley, director of public affairs for Union Pacific.
Two of the cars that went off the track at about 7 a.m. were full of soda ash, and the other three were empty, Bromley said. The train had 109 cars altogether, 41 of which were loaded, mostly with scrap metal and wood products, according to Union Pacific.
Some Union Pacific trains were diverted, but most were on hold until the track reopened around 7 p.m., Bromley said.
Amtrak sent passengers booked on two trains traveling between Grand Junction and Denver, one headed west and one headed east, to their destinations by bus, according to Amtrak spokeswoman Sarah Swain.