Human Error Blamed for Derailment

ALMA, Wis. (AP) — BNSF Railway says human error caused a train derailment in November that sent more than 20,000 gallons of ethanol into the Mississippi River in Wisconsin.

In an accident report filed with the Federal Railroad Administration, BNSF says a train operator applied the dynamic brakes too rapidly, causing 25 cars to jump the tracks near Alma. The derailment remains under investigation by the agency.

The La Crosse Tribune reports the 112-car train was traveling south at 26 mph when it derailed on Nov. 7. Five of its tankers leaked a combined 20,413 gallons of ethanol.

There were no injuries in the derailment, which caused about $2.1 million damage to rail equipment and track. Those damages do not reflect the cost of monitoring the Mississippi River, which BNSF is paying for.