Train derailments have totalled more than $1 million in El Paso in last 4 years
The damage from train derailments in El Paso County have caused $1.4 million in damage since 2008, according to a report from the Texas Department of Transportation.
According to the report, which compiled data from January 2008 to December 2012, there were 28 train accidents in El Paso County – 22 were derailments.
Those accidents caused a total of $1,428,536 in damage, according to the TxDOT study about the freight rail system in the El Paso area and six surrounding counties.
El Paso is one of only nine counties statewide where there’s been more than 25 train accidents in the last four years.
According to the report, 43 percent train derailments were caused by defective, damaged or missing rail ties or from the rails being spaced too far apart.
Twenty one percent of the train derailments were caused by a so called human factor, things like not securing equipment, going faster than the speed limit or failing to secure brakes.
The rest of the derailments are caused by miscellanous reasons, according to the report.
TxDOT crews have replaced the pillar damaged by the train with two steel structures right at the overpass.
Union Pacific did not answer questions about the derailment investigation. A TxDOT spokeswoman said she did not know the answer to a majority of ABC-7’s questons about the investigation and the cost of repairs. She said she’d have to check with TxDOT’s Austin office.
