Tracks Weakened by Flooding Caused Fort Worth Train Derailment – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

Federal officials say a train that derailed and caught fire in Fort Worth in 2019 ran on tracks weakened by flooding after days of rain.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in an accident report released Thursday that the weakened track structure and washout from the rains that flooded nearby Echo Lake were the likely cause of the April 24, 2019 accident.

Over two dozen tank cars on the Union Pacific train derailed and three were damaged, spilling over 65,000 gallons of ethanol, which is highly flammable.

Dramatic photos of smoldering railroad cars in Fort Worth

The report says contributing factors are the delayed maintenance of overflow canals at Echo Lake and the lack of “dynamic weather reporting” at Union Pacific.

Several homes were evacuated and at least three horses were killed when the flames spread to a nearby stable, officials said.

The track structure was so weakened during the flood that it could no longer carry the train, the report said.

The report states that the lake is owned by the city of Fort Worth, but that Tarrant County is responsible for rainwater and sewer repairs.

The report said the lake’s primary overflow included three drainage pipes, and at the time of the accident one was functional, one was intentionally clogged due to damage, and the third was blocked by debris.

Union Pacific spokeswoman Kristen South said she had “no reason to believe that the non-railroad owned Echo Lake spill is not being properly maintained”.

“Had it been, no water would have spilled over the tracks, which would have led to washout and subsequent derailment,” South said, adding that a flash food warning was issued after the derailment.

The report notes that the city of Fort Worth notified NTSB investigators last year that a contractor for Tarrant County had completed drainage improvements on the lake.

A message for comment from Tarrant County was not promptly returned.

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