Watch: Santa Fe junction turning into a trouble spot for train derailments

Virtual Railfan caught Wednesday’s Union Pacific derailment on video.

Virtual Railfan/TikTok

A derailment in Kansas City’s West Bottoms on Feb. 2 damaged a rail bridge support beam, and crews were still busy making repairs two days later.

Engineers checked the span and said it was still structurally sound, and train activity continued on the bridge after it was cleared. The derailment occurred at the Santa Fe junction, which is one of the busiest in the U.S. Six cars left the tracks, but no injuries were reported. It was the second accident at the junction in less than two years. Back in September 2020 a derailment happened on the bridge, but the damage was less severe.

Union Pacific is still investigating the most recent incident.

Virtual Railfan captured video of the derailment, and the website’s CEO said the bridge absorbed a lot of weight before the freight train came to a stop.

Railway Track & Structures magazine came across the derailment video on TikTok courtesy of Virtual Railfan:

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