MRL Yellowstone River derailment

(Fair Use) From the Stillwater County, Montana Government website

On 24 June 2023 at approximately 0600 there was a train derailment on the rail bridge that crosses the Yellowstone River in Stillwater County Montana. The bridge collapsed and there are multiple rail cars in the Yellowstone River. We have not determined the cause of the derailment.

Currently, Stillwater County Emergency Services, Sheriff’s Office, Commissioners, Columbus Fire & Rescue are on scene with Montana Rail Link and other State agencies. Additionally, Stillwater County and Montana Rail Link are coordinating with Federal Response Agencies. We have formally established a unified command and are using the incident command system.

https://www.stillwatercountymt.gov/train-derailment/

#30

It’s since hit ABC News

Click for link: Train derails into Yellowstone River after bridge collapse

Preliminary Report: Railway Age

NTSB Issues MRL Derailment Preliminary Report

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a preliminary report for its investigation of the performance of DOT-111 tank cars in a Montana Rail Link (MRL) train that was involved in a derailment and bridge collapse on June 24, 2023.

“On June 24, 2023, about 6:14 a.m. local time, Montana Rail Link (MRL) freight train MLEUMIS123, a 55-railcar key train, derailed near Reed Point, Stillwater County, Montana,” according to the report, which NTSB issued July 24 and said contains information that is preliminary and subject to change. “The train was crossing the MRL 51 bridge over the Yellowstone River at a speed of 38 mph when 16 tank cars derailed at milepost 51.6. Sixteen railcars in positions 36 through 52, 15 of which were loaded with hazardous materials (hazmat), derailed. Ten derailed railcars submerged in the water, nine of which were hazmat tank cars. No fire, injuries or evacuations were reported. Visibility conditions at the time of the derailment were daylight and clear; the temperature was 53°F. There was no precipitation, and the wind was out of the north-northwest at 17 mph. Three local water treatment facilities downstream of the derailment were shut down, ​but emergency protective measures were lifted by noon of that day.”

The report said the 3,280-foot-long train originated from Laurel, Mont., and was destined for Missoula, Mont. Of its 55 cars, 47 were loaded and 35 contained hazardous materials. The track speed limit was 45 mph on the approach to the bridge, then reduced to 40 mph on the curve.
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Bridge Reopens: Trains

Rebuilt Montana Rail Link bridge over Yellowstone River opens to traffic

Montana Rail Link’s main line was put back into service on Saturday after the rebuilt Reed Point bridge over the Yellowstone River was reopened more than a week ahead of estimates.

The bridge collapsed on June 24, sending 10 cars into the river and derailing an additional seven cars. Asphalt was released into the river from some of the submerged cars, and cleanup efforts are still under way.

“Montana Rail Link has resumed operations with the completion of bridge construction efforts at the site of the June 24th derailment near Reed Point,” MRL spokesman Andy Garland said in a statement to Trains News Wire.“Significant progress was made over the last week of construction, allowing the first train to cross over the newly constructed bridge at approximately 11:30am on Saturday, July 22nd. Construction work was completed ahead of initial estimates, allowing service to officially be restored 28 days post outage. As normal train traffic resumes, crews and contractors will remain on site to remove all equipment and material utilized throughout the process and continuing to restore the area.”
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