BNSF Railway’s main line through Essex is open again after a freight train jumped the tracks on Thursday morning. No one was injured in the derailment.
According to BNSF Railway spokesperson Matthew Jones, five freight cars on an eastbound train derailed at about 7:15 a.m. Thursday and blocked both main line tracks. The freight cars were carrying shipping containers loaded with consumer products and some hazardous material. Jones noted that all of the freight was secured and nothing spilled on the ground. He also said that hazardous material could include anything from batteries to alcohol.
The train was going from Seattle to Chicago and the cause of the derailment is under investigation. Although the main tracks were blocked, Jones said freight and passenger trains, including Amtrak’s Empire Builder, were able to run around the wreck on a sidetrack.
On Friday afternoon, Jones said trains were again running normally through Essex.