On Sunday, at least 25 cars from a train derailed near Sanders County, Montana. The accident spilled the contents of the train cars into the surrounding environment. Emergency crews have determined there is no immediate threat to the public. However, there is no confirmation of what the containers were carrying and the possible impact of the spill on the environment. The crash occurred near Quinn’s Hot Springs west of Paradise, Montana.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries from the crash. The crash occurred on a railroad owned by Montana Rail Link, which is aware of the crash and is mobilizing resources to mitigate the situation. “We are committed to addressing any impacts to the area as a result of this accident, prioritizing the safety of our employees and the public, and understanding the reasons for this incident,” the company said in a statement. The company associated with the train has not yet been identified. See a video of the derailment below.
Train derailment in Northwest Montana just occurred pic.twitter.com/bjZPf5o4Dl
— Glen Hougen (@g_hougen) April 2, 2023
Montana politicians have weighed in on the incident. Governor Greg Gianforte tweeted a statement regarding the accident, “I was briefed this morning on the train derailment in Sanders County, and we are prepared to mobilize the state’s resources.” Senator Jon Tester released a statement on Twitter saying, “I’m monitoring the train derailment in Sanders County, and my office is in touch with local officials.” Senator Steve Daines also said on Twitter, “I’m closely monitoring the train derailment in Sanders County. My office is in close contact with Sanders County officials and @BNSFRailway and MRL officials. The safety of the community is my top priority.”
We can confirm that on Sunday, April 2 around 9:00 a.m., a portion of a train traveling westbound near Paradise derailed. There are no injuries, no risks to public safety, and no Hazmat release. The cause of the derailment is currently under investigation with MRL personnel and first responders onsite. We are committed to addressing any impacts to the area as a result of this accident, prioritizing the safety of our employees and the public, and understanding the reasons for this incident.
This is the latest of many high-profile train derailments in Ohio, South Dakota, Minnesota, and other states, where the wrecked trains carried hazardous materials. While it may seem like there has been a significant uptick in train derailments, the Federal Railroad Administration claims there were over 1,000 derailments in 2022. The country experienced three derailments per day on average. However, many are concerned about the state of American infrastructure. One person commented online, “Trillions of dollars which never seem to make it back to our infrastructure, despite the ever increasing taxes. Not to mention, the focus on building other countries’ infrastructure and economies over our own.”
Note: Featured Image is a screenshot from embedded video.