Train derailment may have involved flawed rail cars, report says

North Dakota Monitor
August 2, 2024

The July 5 train derailment in central North Dakota that caused hazardous materials to spill and catch fire may have involved tank cars that regulators have long identified as flawed. 

A preliminary report released Thursday by the National Transportation Safety Board said some of the 17 tank cars that derailed were reported to include DOT-111 cars. That is the same type of car that Congress has ordered to be phased out for hauling flammable liquids by 2029, according to The Associated Press, which reported on the NTSB report on Thursday.

NTSB investigators will confirm the tank car types when they perform a detailed damage assessment, the preliminary report said. The derailed tank cars also are reported to include DOT-112 and DOT-117 cars, which are newer models.

The agency's early findings did not include any information about what caused 29 cars to derail southeast of Carrington near the tiny town of Bordulac. Railway company CPKC estimates damages to be about $3.6 million.

Derailment cleanup progresses but no timeline for completion

Of the 29 cars that derailed, six tank cars carried methanol, 11 tank cars carried anhydrous ammonia and 12 covered hoppers carried plastic pellets.

No initial injuries were reported, though a footnote to the report says some workers were potentially exposed to hazardous materials during cleanup and sought medical attention. Residents of two homes voluntarily evacuated for two days.

The train was traveling from Minot to Enderlin at 45 mph, below the maximum speed of 50 mph. Conditions were clear with no precipitation when the train derailed after 3:30 a.m., but the track and surrounding area were wet from earlier rainfall, the report notes.

The NTSB's investigation is ongoing. Future investigation will include detailed tank car damage assessments, review of maintenance and inspection records and more.

The DOT-111 rail cars have been involved in previous fiery train derailments. Earlier this year, the NTSB said the use of DOT-111 cars to transport flammable liquids contributed to the severity of the 2023 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The agency said the tank car has a long record of being inadequate in derailments and prone to releasing hazardous materials.

"This unacceptable safety record is why the NTSB is calling for an accelerated phaseout of DOT-111 tank cars in hazmat service," the agency said in a June update.

A CPKC spokesman declined to comment Friday, citing the ongoing NTSB investigation.

Shippers, not the railroads, own or lease the tank cars, said Jessica Kahanek, assistant vice president of communications for the Association of American Railroads. The freight rail industry has supported accelerating the timeline for removing DOT-111 tank cars from service, she said. 

"We have a very long history advocating for tougher tank car standards, particularly as it relates to the DOT-111 tank cars," Kahanek said.

A cleanup of the derailment is expected to take all summer, Foster County Emergency Manager Andrew Kirking has said.

This story has been updated with comment from the Association of American Railroads.

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