Flames from a ruptured natural gas line scorched rail cars and brought trains on one of the busiest transcontinental rail routes to a halt in Wyoming early Sunday.
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Freight cars were scorched on a Union Pacific train carrying hazardous materials west of Cheyenne after a natural gas pipeline exploded in flames that could be seen 60 miles away in Colorado.
The Sherman Hill route between Laramie and Cheyenne is one of the busiest on the UP system, seeing up to 100 trains a day.
The train did not derail and no injuries were reported in the incident, which occurred at around 2 a.m. Sunday.
“Around 2 a.m. CT Sunday, a Union Pacific train was southwest of Cheyenne, when it stopped due to a rupture in the Kinder Morgan pipeline, about 40 feet away,” a Union Pacific spokeswoman said in an email to FreightWaves. “The heat from the fire made it too dangerous to operate over the track. There was no derailment, and no one was hurt. We worked with the local fire department and have reopened the tracks.
No cause was determined for the explosion on the pipeline.
A team from the National Transportation Safety Board was expected Monday to investigate.
Local reports said Laramie emergency units responded until UP crews arrived. Another nearby train on an adjoining track was protected.
Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) did not immediately comment.
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