Train derails over bridge near Oregon Coast. See the photos
A Portland and Western Railroad train derailed in Toledo near the Oregon Coast early Jan. 21, damaging a trestle over Olalla Slough and briefly closing nearby tracks.
As the train heads south towards Albany derailment occurred Around 5 a.m., three locomotives derailed as the train approached the bridge, Oregon Department of Transportation spokesman Chris Crabb said.
Authorities said no one was injured and the train was not carrying hazardous materials. The cause of the derailment is currently unknown.
The Portland and Western Railroad is owned by Genesee and Wyoming Inc. and operates local freight services in the Willamette Valley and Washington and Columbia counties.
A Portland and Western Railroad train derailed in Toledo early Jan. 21, damaging a trestle over Olalla Slough and briefly closing nearby roads.
The damaged trestle is located near the end of a branch line connecting to Toledo.
“The bridge was damaged and will undergo inspection and repair once the investigation into the incident is completed and the scene is cleared,” Portland & Western Railroad spokesman Tom Ciuba said.
In total, six pieces of equipment derailed, including three locomotives, a slug unit used to increase traction, and two loaded freight cars that had not yet reached the bridge.
A Portland and Western Railroad train derailed in Toledo early Jan. 21, damaging a trestle over Olalla Slough and briefly closing nearby roads.
Currently, there are still three wagons and three locomotives on the scene.
“We are working on assessments with contractors and plans to re-derail them, which will likely involve the use of cranes,” Ciuba said.
Following the derailment, the National Response Center and Oregon Emergency Response were notified and Republic service was dispatched to check for a diesel leak in locomotive PNWR 3002, Crabb said. While crews were trying to pull the unaffected part of the train off the road, some road crossings were closed after the derailment.
“They are still fixing the locomotives and taking bids from contractors to do the heavy lifting,” Crabb said. “There is no ETA for the opening of the railway line. The best estimate is 5-10 days before it is opened to rail traffic.”
While closures may continue near the bridge, a section of the southeastern East Slope Road has now reopened.
Ginnie Sandoval is the Statesman Journal’s Oregon Connect reporter. Sandoval can be reached at: GSandoval@statesmanjournal.com or at X @GinnieSandoval.
This article was first published in the Salem Statesman Journal: The train derailed on a bridge near the Oregon Coast. See photos
