On the heels of the U.S. Congress’ extension of its demand for the implementation of positive train control (PTC) on all operating trains in the U.S. to December 2018, for the second day in a row a freight train has derailed in Wisconsin.
The first train derailed Saturday in western Wisconsin, “spilling thousands of gallons of ethanol” into the Mississippi River, according to Reuters. 25 cars were derailed, and several spilled ethanol, with one car reportedly spilling more than 18,000 gallons.
Early Sunday afternoon, a Canadian Pacific Railway train derailed in Watertown, dumping at least 10 cars from the tracks and spilling crude oil from leaking derailed cars. According to an ABC News report, less than 1,000 gallons were spilled from only one leaking car, in Sunday’s derailment. The leak has already been plugged, according to the Reuters report.
35 area homes were reportedly evacuated. Thankfully, no one was reported injured in either derailment. Members of Congress who approved the PTC extension remain conspicuously silent.
