Emergency hazmat crews were dispatched to the small town of Gothenburg, Nebraska on Monday night after the fourth train derailed in the same location in less than 12 months.
“At about 1:45 a.m. CST today, approximately 31 Union Pacific train cars carrying coal derailed near Gothenburg, Nebraska,” Union Pacific Railroad said in a statement. “No one was injured. The incident occurred about three miles southeast of Gothenburg. Cleanup has begun, with heavy equipment on site.”
“One of the three mainline tracks near the derailment site reopened to train traffic at about 8 a.m. CST. The cause of the incident is under investigation,” the statement continued.
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Per Newswars:
Local resident Jesse Ambler claimed that numerous train derailments have disrupted the area in recent months, likely due to cuts in workers.
“It seems to happen all the time,” he said. “I don’t know what the deal is. This is the fourth one in the last 10 months, it must be one of the busiest railways in America.”
“The rail company keeps laying people off and building longer and longer trains, but with less people to maintain the tracks. It’s a problem,” he added.
This marks the third major derailment to occur in the U.S. in recent weeks.
Last week a Union Pacific train derailed in Houston, Texas, after colliding with an 18-wheeler, resulting in the release of “hazardous materials” that prompted officials to call for a shelter-in-place order a mile around the accident.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced Tuesday he would finally visit the site of the toxic train derailment site in East Palestine, Ohio, that took place on Feb. 3, after Trump declared last week he would visit the area.
