UPDATED AT 12:15 P.M.: Union Pacific Corporate Relations and Media employee Calli Hite says there were no fatalities or serious injuries to any of the employees involved in the accident. The incident involved two Union Pacific Trains. One train was hauling coal while the other was an Intermodal Train hauling consumer goods.
An Intermodal Train hauls large shipping containers that look similar to boxes and usually stacks the containers two high. Because those containers can be transported via ship, truck, or rail, it is considered Intermodal.
Hite says the accident occurred at about 9:45 p.m. last night (March 14).
Staff from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are still travelling to the accident site and are in charge of the investigation. The NTSB is not making any comment on the incident until they gain more information.
UPDATED AT 11:09 A.M.: Staff from Castle Rock Ambulance Services confirmed that they transported one person from the incident to Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County with what appeared to be non-serious injuries. The ambulance was dispatched to the scene between Granger and the Tronox Granger Plant at 10 p.m. last night.
ORIGINAL AT 9:30 A.M.: Union Pacific Railroad has confirmed a train incident occurred late last night in Sweetwater County.
Details are few at this time, and the incident is still under investigation.
Union Pacific Public Affairs Director for Colorado and Wyoming Sara Thompson Cassidy confirmed that there was a train-on-train incident late Monday night.
Union Pacific and the National Transportation Safety Board responders are currently on-site and heading to the site.
Cassidy could not provide any further information at this time.
We will provide more information as it is made available.