BOULDER, Colo. — Two freight trains collided and derailed in Boulder, Colorado, on Thursday night, damaging a bridge, spilling fuel and injuring two conductors, according to police.
The Boulder Police Department said on the social medial platform X that the crash happened north of Boulder Community Hospital.
Area roads were closed for several hours while officials conducted an investigation and fuel cleanups. Those roads have all since reopened, the department said Friday morning.
“The train itself is about a mile-long so it will take some time to clean up and move the cars,” police said on X.
Video of the aftermath showed the two train locomotives sustained severe damage and were off the rails along with several cargo cars. Heavy equipment was being used to remove the wreckage.
Kendall Sloan, a spokesperson for train operator BNSF Railway, said in an email Friday that the cause of the collision remains under investigation.
She said the crash happened at around 11:15 p.m. Thursday on tracks running near Boulder Creek.
The two crew members, who have not been named, were taken to the hospital with minor injuries and have since been released, according to Sloan.
A “small amount” of fuel spilled from the locomotive but is not impacting the creek, she added.
“Crews are on site working to clear the incident as quickly and safely as possible,” Sloan wrote. “There is no threat to the public.”
The police department, which didn’t immediately respond to a follow-up email, said in other updates on X that a rail bridge was also destroyed in the crash, and that an area electrical line was impacted, leading to power outages affecting about a dozen customers.
The department acknowledged on X that it initially believed fuel was leaking from a train’s engine into the creek, but that it now appears the fuel was absorbed by sand that spilled out of one of the train cars.
On a recent morning in Colorado, a collision between two freight trains caused significant damage to a bridge, disrupting rail traffic and raising concerns about the safety of the nation’s railways.
The incident occurred when two trains, one carrying coal and the other carrying grain, collided on a stretch of track near a bridge in a rural area of Colorado. The impact of the collision caused several cars to derail and crash into the bridge, causing structural damage and prompting authorities to close the bridge to all traffic.
The collision not only caused damage to the bridge itself but also resulted in a significant cleanup effort as crews worked to remove the derailed cars and clear the tracks. The disruption to rail traffic also had ripple effects on the transportation of goods and commodities, potentially causing delays and increased costs for businesses that rely on rail transport.
The incident has raised questions about the safety of the nation’s railways and the need for increased oversight and regulation to prevent similar accidents in the future. While the cause of the collision is still under investigation, some have pointed to issues such as inadequate maintenance, human error, or equipment failure as potential factors that may have contributed to the incident.
In response to the collision, authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident and identify any potential safety hazards that may have played a role. They are also working to assess the extent of the damage to the bridge and develop a plan for repairs to ensure that it can be safely reopened for use.
Overall, the collision of two freight trains in Colorado has highlighted the importance of maintaining safe and reliable transportation infrastructure, particularly when it comes to the nation’s railways. It serves as a reminder of the potential risks and consequences of accidents involving large, heavy trains and underscores the need for continued vigilance and oversight to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
