Freight Train Derails In Cooke County
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
VALLEY VIEW (CBSDFW.COM) - A freight train derailed near Valley View in Cooke County early Friday, leaving four railroad workers injured. It happened at around 1:30 a.m. along a southbound line, heading to Alliance Airport in north Fort Worth.
The BNSF train consisted of four locomotives and 13 cars. Two of those locomotives crashed into an extension of Lake Ray Roberts.
The four victims were on those two engines and also went into the water. They were all transported to Denton Regional Medical Center and have already been released.
Video from the derailment showed several of the cars scattered and piled near the railway tracks, some of them on their side. The cars were reportedly carrying mixed freight, but there were no reports of any spills or required evacuations as a result of the derailment.
However, the crash damaged a portion of the track. Rail traffic on Friday is being routed around the scene, while crews work to clean up the mess and repair the damages. There is no estimate yet for how long this might take.
The incident happened at the height of powerful storms that moved through North Texas on Thursday night and Friday morning. Officials believe that the severe weather is likely to blame for the derailment.