Emergency crews are responding to a significant train derailment that occurred Tuesday afternoon in north central Texas, involving approximately 35 Union Pacific Railroad cars.

The incident, which took place around 2 p.m. local time on a railroad bridge on Coalville Road, about two miles east of Gordon and 71 miles west of Fort Worth, has ignited small grass fires in the area but has not resulted in any hazardous material leaks, officials confirmed.

Palo Pinto County emergency services reported that Union Pacific hazmat personnel and the Palo Pinto Fire Department are on the scene, working to stabilize the situation. "All personnel have been accounted for, and no injuries have been reported," the agency stated on social media. "The situation is currently stable, but not yet fully controlled." Fire crews are actively combating grass fires sparked by the derailment, though no structures are threatened, and no evacuations have been ordered.

By 9 p.m. Tuesday, emergency teams remained at the scene, with Union Pacific deploying equipment and cranes to begin removing the derailed cars. Local television footage showed mangled train cars, some piled atop one another, with heavy smoke rising from the area. Authorities have not disclosed the exact contents of the train cars but initially warned residents to avoid the area due to a "potentially hazardous situation."

Union Pacific reported that cleanup efforts are progressing, with no hazardous material leaks detected. The company estimates that the site will remain an active scene for several days as crews work to clear the tracks and investigate the cause of the derailment, which remains under investigation.

Train Derailments in ContextTrain derailments are not uncommon in the United States, with federal data from 2021 and 2022 indicating an average of three derailments per day. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported 793 large freight railroad derailments in 2024, with 74% occurring in low-speed rail yards where trains typically move at about 5 mph. Only 26% of these incidents occurred on mainline tracks, including five derailments that caused four injuries and six that led to hazardous material releases.

The AAR noted that hazardous material incidents are rare, with over 99.9% of hazmat shipments reaching their destinations without issue. In 2022, rail operators reported 337 hazardous material leaks or spills, of which only 32 were deemed "serious," and six resulted in injuries. Over the past decade, hazardous material spills from trains occurred more than 5,000 times, though this is significantly lower than highway transportation, which saw 67 hazmat leaks for every rail leak in 2023.The Gordon derailment follows a series of high-profile incidents, including the 2023 East Palestine, Ohio, derailment, which involved hazardous chemical leaks and fires, prompting renewed scrutiny of railroad safety. The AAR highlights that the hazmat accident rate has dropped 80% since 2005, reflecting improvements in rail safety protocols.

Union Pacific and local authorities continue to monitor the situation in Gordon, urging residents to stay clear of the area as cleanup and investigation efforts proceed. (ILKHA)