Train derails east of Superior
<p>Airplane fuselages wait to be relocated after a train derailed east of Superior. Many of the fuselages were sent into the Clark Fork River, closing the Alberton Gorge section of the river. </p>
SUPERIOR - A train carrying airline parts and other materials derailed at approximately 4 p.m. on Thursday 18 miles east of Superior sending airplane fuselages plummeting into the Clark Fork River.
The Clark Fork River and the rail line were temporarily closed Thursday and Friday as crews removed the damaged fuselages from the river, cleaned up other debris from the tracks and repaired the rail line. Montana Rail Link Public Information Officer Lynda Frost did confirm there were no injuries as a result of the accident.
“There were seven cars carrying aircraft components and three of those went into the river,” Frost said. “There were a total of 19 cars that derailed. There were three cars of soybean that derailed and three cars of denatured alcohol. The other six cars involved in the derailment were empty.”
Frost said there was no contamination to the river or the surrounding environment as a result of the derailment. She said the immediate goal was to have the rail line reopened as of Saturday evening.
In a press release from Fish Wildlife and Parks, it was indicated state officials decided to close the Alberton Gorge section of the Clark Fork River between St. John’s and Tarkio Fishing Access Sites to facilitate the clean-up of the debris.
St. John’s, Cyr Bridge, Triple Bridge, Ralph’s Takeout and Tarkio access sites were all closed.
At the scene of the derailment, workers could be seen removing debris and beginning the work of installing new rail ties. A car stacked with dozens of new ties was seen moving toward the crash site on Friday afternoon.
Damaged airplane fuselages were strewn across the debris field along with other cars with visible damage. Parts of trees could be seen embedded in at least one of the cars which also had significant damage to one side indicating at some point it had overturned and then been righted.
According to Frost, the cause of the accident is still under investigation. As of Saturday afternoon, the rail line and the Alberton Gorge section of the Clark Fork River remained closed.