Derailment on Clinton railroad bridge diverts train traffic

By Steven Martens | Tuesday, August 07, 2007

TODAY: (Updated 3:51 p.m.) CLINTON, Iowa — A train derailment on the railroad bridge over the Mississippi River in Clinton is expected to keep the train tracks closed until Wednesday, a Union Pacific spokesman said today.

Eleven cars from a 135-car train carrying coal from Wyoming to Illinois derailed on the bridge at 4:15 a.m. today, said James Barnes, a spokesman for the Union Pacific Railroad. The cars remained upright, and no coal was spilled into the river below, Barnes said.

The coal was removed from the cars and taken to a nearby barge, Barnes said.

About 11 trains that were scheduled to use the bridge today are being rerouted. One of the tracks affected by the derailment is expected to be open by 10 a.m. Wednesday and the other is expected to be open by 2 p.m. Wednesday, Barnes said.

The cause of the derailment is under investigation.