CAIRO, Neb. — Three locomotives and 57 cars of a BNSF coal train derailed early this morning (Friday, Feb. 9) near Cairo, News Channel Nebraska reports.
No injuries were reported in the incident about 4:45 a.m. along State Route 2, which blocked crossings in a 3-mile stretch from High Street in Cairo to 110th Road southeast of the community.
Both main tracks have been taken out of service; BNSF did not yet have an estimated time for reopening in an advisory to customers today. The cause of the incident is under investigation.
Cairo is 17 miles northwest of Grand Island, Neb., on BNSF’s Ravenna Subdivision.
Update: as of Sunday afternoon, both tracks are open, trains are running more or less normally, but there’s still a mess on the ground: the three locos set aside. much spilled coal on the ground (the train appeared to be a coal train heading east from Wyoming), and numerous ruined hoppers sitting around, many overturned.