Barron County (WQOW) - As the cleanup continues in Chetek, there's no word yet on why rail cars jumped the tracks.
Several cars, carrying frac sand, ran off the tracks Monday morning. No one was hurt. Authorities say Progressive Rail, which owns the line, was still working to clear the scene on Tuesday.
The Chetek police and fire departments say they're not investigating the derailment. WQOW News 18 contacted the National Transportation Safety Board to ask if it was looking into it or whether an investigation was even necessary, but never heard back. Progressive Rail was also asked, but the company would not comment.
The Chetek police chief says he was pleased with the company's immediate response on Monday. He said Progressive had people on scene 10 minutes after the derailment happened.
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Chetek (WQOW) - Crews spent the day cleaning up after a train carrying frac sand derailed in Barron County.
It happened around 10 o'clock Monday morning in Chetek. A train operated by Wisconsin Northern Railroad, which is owned by Progressive Rail, was heading to Chippewa Falls when ten cars slid off the track. The rail company says it's not sure what caused the train to derail, but it is investigating.
A resident who lives near the tracks was home when the accident happened.
"I was sitting down in the chair and all of sudden I heard a screeching noise and the house just shook," says Gene Oldham, who lives near the railroad. "Then I looked out the window and all these cars here were twisted and the other one is half off."
No one was injured. Crews are working to clean up a small amount of sand that spilled, along with repairing the tracks and putting the cars back upright.
