As a result of the bridge collapse in Stillwater County, Montana (USA), 10 cars of the Montana Rail Link (MRL) train carrying hot asphalt and molten sulfur fell into the Yellowstone River. Currently, the causes of the incident are being investigated, and measures are being taken to mitigate its consequences, according to the Railway Supply magazine, citing Rail.insider.

the collapse of a bridge under a freight train

The incident occurred on June 24. As a result of the bridge collapse, 10 cars ended up in the river, with hazardous cargo being spilled. However, officials claim that there is no threat to the population. It has also been suggested that hot asphalt and molten sulfur solidify quickly when mixed with water, so modeling indicates that the substances are unlikely to travel too far downstream.

Railway workers continue to work on mitigating the effects of the accident.

Panoramique des Dômes mountain railway trains to be renovated

“Progress has been made in cleaning up the cars on Sunday evening (June 25) and Monday morning… The contents of both cars containing sodium hydrosulfide, located on the western side of the bridge, were successfully transloaded into other cars and moved to a safe location. Eight cars on the eastern side of the bridge that did not fall into the water have been removed. Five of these cars contain asphalt, and three contain fertilizers. On Monday, June 26, construction workers removed cars with fertilizers and one car with asphalt. They will be removed during the cleanup. There are 10 cars remaining in the river, with six carrying asphalt, three carrying molten sulfur, and one containing scrap,” the statement said.

MRL, in collaboration with unions and BNSF Railway, is working on finding alternative routes to minimize disruptions in the supply chain.

The investigation into the causes of the accident is ongoing. It is noted that the collapsed bridge underwent an inspection in May.

Recall that track erosion caused the railroad disaster in the United States.

Background: Railway Disaster

A railway disaster is an extraordinary incident on a railway line that results in severe damage to trains, bridges, railway tracks, or railway infrastructure.

Disasters can have various causes, including train collisions, landslides, bridge collapses, track failures, explosions, or fires. As a result of disasters, there can be human casualties, injuries, property damage, and significant consequences for railway transportation.

Investigations into disasters are conducted to determine the causes and prevent similar events in the future.

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