Portland & Western Train Derails in Oregon, Damages Trestle

Portland & Western

TOLEDO, Ore. - A Portland & Western Railroad train derailed January 21 in Toledo, Oregon.

SE East Slope Road, from SE 10th Street to SE Butler Bridge Road, was closed as a result until 2:00 p.m. local time, says the City of Toledo. The derailment occurred at around 5 a.m. and damaged a trestle located over Olalla Slough, reports the Statesman Journal. Three locomotives derailed as it approached the bridge. As of reporting, the cause is unknown.

“The bridge sustained damage and will undergo inspection and repairs once an investigation into the incident is completed and the scene is cleared,” Tom Ciuba, spokesperson for Portland & Western Railroad, told the Journal.

Ciuba went on to say the railroad is working with contractors to assess the situation and “rerail” the remaining railcars and locomotives with cranes at the scene.

After the National Response Center and Oregon Emergency Response were notified, the Republic service was dispatched to control a diesel leak from one of the derailed locomotives. Oregon Department of Transportation spokesperson Chris Crabb said crews are “still stabilizing the locomotives and getting contractor bids to do the heavy lifting. . . There is no ETA for the rail line being opened. The best guess is 5-10 days before it’s open for rail traffic.”

This story is ongoing. RT&S will continue to report on this story as more information, including the cause of derailment, becomes available.