Alaska Railroad tank car derails; no spill detected

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A railroad tank car carrying turbine engine fuel derailed south of Denali National Park, but Alaska Railroad officials have not detected a spill.

The car was in the middle of a freight train with 71 freight cars and five locomotives.

The car derailed at 3:14 a.m. Tuesday about 3 miles (4.8 kilometres) south of Cantwell. The community of 200 is 28 miles (45 kilometres) south of the park.

The car carried 23,000 gallons (87,062 litres) of fuel.

The derailment damaged rail ties over nearly 3 miles (4.8 kilometres) and on a bridge over the Cantwell River.

The railroad estimates repairs will take at least two days after train cars are removed. About half of the cars were moved to Fairbanks.

Railroad personnel are investigating the cause of the derailment.