FERRYVILLE, Wis. – Congress member Derrick Van Orden said he warned the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad about flood problem on the Mississippi River six days before a major derailment at Ferryville. Van Orden, from 25 Prairie du Chien, 25 miles downriver, said he was assured by the Texas-based railroad that it was experienced in handling flooding and that tracks were being frequently inspected. Meanwhile, the National Transportation Board and the Federal Railroad Administration launched investigations about what caused the derailment. A A flood-sodden roadbed was suspected. Van Orden called for a halt to all rail traffic on the Upper Mississippi until flooding recedes.
Verbatim
Van Orden: “Thursday these trains shot off the rails and wound up in the Mississippi River. So one week ago, I was assured by the BNSF railroad that they’re taken all the precautions they could to make sure this wouldn’t happen, and it did”
Van Orden. First-term member of Congress, A Republican elected from Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District.
Verbatim
Railroad, responding to Van Orden: “We appreciate the Congressman’s interest in this issue and are staying in close contact with his office as we work to restore the area. We are also grateful to the first responders who assisted us yesterday. At BNSF, safety is a core value, and as we indicated to the Congressman, we have a proven track record and experience dealing with inclement weather across our network, ranging from winter storms to hurricanes to flooding, as is the case here. BNSF regularly inspects all the components of our network, including locomotives, track, rail, and bridges, and we also conduct inspections after weather events. Trained BNSF inspectors utilize advanced equipment such as instrument-equipped rail cars, bridge inspection vehicles, and unmanned aerial vehicles and deploy technology, unmanned track measurement systems, ultrasound, ground-penetrating radar and high-definition cameras and accelerometers. This incident is under investigation and when it is complete, we will utilize what is learned to continue working to improve safety for our communities and our employees. In fact, between 2017 and 2022, we invested nearly $20 billion to maintain and expand our network in order to enhance our safety and efficiency.”