The derailment and resulting fire involving a Union Pacific ethanol train in March included older DOT-111 tank cars, according to a preliminary government report.
In the March 10 incident near Graettinger, Iowa, 20 cars of a UP unit train derailed. Fourteen of the cars released about 322,000 gallons of ethanol, causing a fire that burned for two-and-a-half days. There were no injuries reported.
While a preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board did not pinpoint the cause of the derailment, it did state that the breached cars were not retrofitted to meet new Department of Transportation safety standards required by May 1, 2023.
The train was traveling at 30 m.p.h., according to the lead loco’s event recorder, the speed limit for that segment of track.
The cause of the derailment isn’t expected to be determined for at least a year.