Cleanup work progresses at site of derailed Colorado train as NTSB says rail line broken
Rapid work to re-open Interstate 25 north of Pueblo, where a train derailed Sunday, continued into the night Monday.
The site was cleared of tons of coal and a half-dozen or more rail cars that plunged off a bridge that was torn away by the derailment. The accident resulted in the death of a 60-year-old truck driver from Compton, California who was headed north on I-25 when the truck was crushed by the debris.
Following work by BNSF Railway workers to clear the mess, the Colorado Department of Transportation will work to restore the highway and re-open it. BNSF owns and operated the train that derailed.
RELATED: Both directions of I-25 closed after train derails north of Pueblo
"With that impact, you know that there's going to be some damage. We're anticipating that and we're going to attack the problem as soon as we can so we can get drivers back on I-25," said CDOT spokeswoman Amber Shipley.
The National Transportation Security Board said in a statement Tuesday that preliminary information, "indicates that a broken rail just to the east of the I-25 bridge caused the derailment."
The train was heading south on the east side of the highway and was about to cross over the bridge when the derailment happened. Train cars hit the 65-year-old bridge. "NTSB investigators also believe the broken rail preceded the derailment and the bridge collapse occurred after the derailment," the statement went on to say.
That will direct less attention to the integrity of the bridge, which showed cracks in its concrete supports in recent Google Map images before the derailment. More concerning is that there appeared to be no warning of problems ahead for the train crew.
"Investigators will continue to determine the cause of the broken rail and why warning systems did not alert the crews to the condition of the track as part of the ongoing investigation," the NTSB said.
Such systems are low-voltage electrical circuits that are an indication of rail integrity. When severed, the signal would indicate a problem. The NTSB's statement does not indicate whether a break in the rail line would have been significant enough to trigger a warning, or if the system was working.
What was also unclear Tuesday was who owned the bridge. BNSF said it did not, but the state said there was conflicting information.
CDOT Communications Director Matt Inzeo said the department was, "going through every document that we have," to look into the provenance of the structure. He said they would reserve further comment until they could, "give a definitive answer."
RELATED: It could be days before Interstate 25 reopens after deadly Colorado train derailment, Polis says
As the highway remained closed in both directions, drivers took Highways 50 and 115 as a detour routing them through Penrose west of Pueblo. It meant more business for places like Coyote's Coffee Den along 115.
"It's staying steady like this," said supervisor Wanda Massey. Traffic on Highway 50, she described was, "way heavier," than usual. It meant a different experience, but one metro area residents know well; traffic jams.
"It takes 10 minutes to get across town. Fifteen is just too long for me," joked barista Navaeh Copeland.