HOWARD (NBC 26) — Crews were at work Monday in Howard, cleaning up after a train derailed Sunday, but the details of what happened are still unclear.
The train went off the tracks near the intersection of Lineville Road and Velp Avenue, but as of Monday night, no information on the cause of the derailment was available.
Howard Public Works Director Geoff Farr confirmed the incident happened and said there were no hazardous materials on the train, but said he didn't have any further information.
When reached for comment, Wisconsin's Commissioner of Railroads Don Vruwink said his office was notified about the derailment at around 2:30 p.m., but he did not see the notification until Monday night.
Vruwink says his office expects railroad companies to report derailments within 24 hours any time a train goes off the track.
Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad, which owns the track, said they informed the office of the Commissioner of Railroads about the derailment but didn't give specifics or further comment.
Vruwink, however, said his office wasn't contacted by the railroad company, adding that he has no legal authority to enforce the reporting requirements.
In April, the Brown County Sheriff's Office reported that another train stalled within half a mile of the site of Sunday's derailment, and attributed the issue to a structural issue with the railroad tracks.
Vruwink says his office wasn't contacted about that incident either, and says he would've liked to know about it, so his office could make sure the tracks are safe.
“We collect information about what happened, so we can see if this is something that has happened before on this track," Vruwink said. "The foremost thing in my mind is to make sure the public is safe when these accidents occur.”
For Howard resident Don Esqueda, seeing the train derailed makes him concerned about the safety of the intersection.
"It makes you feel uneasy," Esqueda said. "What could the next one bring? Would there be a next one? Can there be a next one?" Esqueda pondered. "Based on the rail system, it’s likely to happen again."
NBC 26 will continue to look into this derailment and will bring you more information as it becomes available.
