Section of fractured rail found after Raymond train derailment, NTSB preliminary report says
An aerial view of the train derailment in Raymond, Minnesota (KSTP).
Federal investigators have released their preliminary report following the fiery train derailment last month in a small town in Kandiyohi County.
A BNSF train with 40 loaded railcars derailed on the western edge of Raymond, located around 15 miles southwest of Willmar and about two hours west of the Twin Cities, just before 1 a.m. on March 30.
According to a preliminary report released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), a section of fractured rail was sent to the BNSF rail lab in Topeka, Kan., two days after the derailment, although it’s still unclear if that’s what caused it.
Complete Raymond Train Derailment Coverage
Additionally, the report states that five of the derailed tank cars released hazardous material — ethanol that caught fire and burned for more than a day. The NTSB report states that 14 tank cars were carrying hazardous materials, 10 of which derailed.
The incident led to a precautionary evacuation for everyone within a half-mile of the site, affecting approximately 800 people in Raymond. However, all were allowed to return home that same day.
No injuries were reported.
The preliminary report doesn’t note any other potential issues that could’ve contributed to the derailment, which BNSF estimates caused around $1.9 million in damages to equipment and track infrastructure. A full report is expected at a later time.