(The following article by Nate Searing was posted on the Sierra Vista Herald-Review website on February 5.)
BOWIE, Ariz. — Twenty-two railcars on a Union Pacific train jumped the track near Bowie Tuesday, causing no injuries but shutting down the line for more than a day.
The accident occurred about a mile east of Bowie at about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Union Pacific Railroad investigators are searching for the cause of the derailment that left nearly two dozen railcars filled with paper products, vehicles and other materials strewn across the track.
“We don’t know exactly what happened at this point,” said John Bromley, a spokesman for Union Pacific. “But we’re very lucky no one was injured.”
The train was pulling 107 railcars at the time of the accident, Bromley said. There is no apparent damage to the remaining cars or materials on board.
Union Pacific was expecting to have the tracks cleared by 9 p.m. Wednesday in order to restart service this morning.