MANSFIELD, Conn. — A shelter-in-place order remains in effect today (Friday, Feb. 6) and a local emergency has been declared in the wake of Thursday’s derailment of a New England Central train in the town of Mansfield.
Officials told a press conference this morning that there have been no signs of a breach in the propane tank cars that derailed. WFSB-TV reports the shelter-in-place order within a half-mile radius of the derailment site is to protect against any issues that might arise as crews begin to remove some cars from the Willimantic River and rerail others. The emergency declaration allows the town to ask for aid.
Officials now say 13 cars separated from the rest of a two-engine, 41-car train on Thursday morning, with 10 of those derailing [see “Shelter-in-place order continues …,” Trains.com, Feb. 5, 2026]. Those cars are carrying propane, cooking grease, lumber, and grain.
Cold weather is expected to complicate the cleanup through the weekend, with forecast lows of minus-6 degrees on Saturday night and minus-8 degrees on Sunday. Warming sheds have been set up at the site for workers.
Also still in effect is the closure of a 1-mile section of State Route 32 between U.S. Route 44 and State Route 275, with no estimate when it will reopen.
— To report news or errors, contact trainsnewswire@firecrown.com.
