RAYMOND, Minn. — *Editor's Note: The above video first aired March 30, 2023.
Federal investigators say that a broken rail caused a fiery derailment earlier this year in Raymond, Minnesota.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently released the findings from its investigation, not only concluding that the broken rail caused the crash, but also that the broken rail was related to a "rail head surface condition."
The train derailed just before 1 a.m. on March 30 on the western edge of Raymond, prompting officials to evacuate about 800 people from their homes. According to NTSB, about 23 mixed freight rail cars were involved in the derailment, including 10 that were carrying ethanol.
The fire burned into the following day before firefighters could extinguish it, but no one was hurt and everyone who evacuated was able to return home within 12 hours of the derailment. Investigators estimated that the event caused $1.9 million of damage to railroad equipment and the tracks.
A preliminary report back in April said that a fractured rail was being analyzed, but didn't say if it was the cause of the derailment.
The NTSB said that two of the ethanol cars were punctured even though they were the upgraded models designed to resist leaks, following a string of fiery crude oil and ethanol derailments a decade ago. The fire from those leaking ethanol cars damaged the gaskets on three other ethanol cars nearby, causing them to leak as well, even though the gaskets were rated to withstand temperatures up to 225 degrees Fahrenheit (107.2 degrees Celsius).
At the time of the derailment, state officials said they weren't especially concerned about groundwater contamination because most of the ethanol would burn off and the ground remained frozen, with temperatures hovering just a few degrees above 0 Fahrenheit (-17.78 degree Celsius).
Investigators said that at the time of the derailment, the train was going 43 mph — which is below the 49 mph speed limit for the area.
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