Train Derailment in Nebraska: 31 Cars Carrying Coal off Tracks

KNOP, a news outlet located in and focused on Nebraska, reported on the derailment of 31 Union Pacific train cars carrying coal near Gothenburg, Nebraska, in the early morning hours on Tuesday.

Three train derailments occurred in the same area in 2022. KNOP reported, “In May 2022, News 2 reported on the derailment of a Union Pacific train carrying coal southeast of Gothenburg. Another train derailment was reported near Gothenburg in June and the third happened in November near Lexington.

Robynn Tysver, a spokesperson for Union Pacific, told the Lexington Clipper-Herald that one of three train tracks had resumed regular operations for transportation. She said the cause of the derailment is currently under investigation. Cleanup efforts are currently underway.

The Lexington Clipper-Herald reported, “Cleanup has begun with heavy equipment being brought to the site to clear the cars. One of the three mainline tracks near the derailment was reopened to traffic about 8 a.m. On other tracks, trains were stopped outside Gothenburg and beyond.”

The Union Pacific Railroad did not publish a press release regarding this incident at the time of this article’s publication.

The Daily Mail touched on the recent spate of train derailments across the U.S. and noted Pete Buttigieg’s role as U.S. secretary of transportation:

The latest derailment comes after several other similar wrecks occurred in recent weeks, including a devastating accident in East Palestine, Ohio that caused the town to be evacuated after it was damaged by a toxic waste runoff.

“The East Palestine and Nebraska derailments are among more than a dozen train wrecks that have been reported across the US since the start of the year, leading embattled Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg to announce that he is now planning to visit the site of the toxic derailment in Ohio, 18 days after the disaster,” the report concluded.