A cut of cars ran away downgrade on BNSF Railway’s Slaton Subdivision in the Texas Panhandle on Sunday morning and collided with the lead locomotive of a westbound train, demolishing its cab.
The crew was warned ahead of time and was able to move to safety. Images online showed a flatcar carrying steel pipe crashed into the lead locomotive. One of the pipes pierced the cab.
BNSF confirmed that nine cars, carrying pipes and plastic pellets, derailed at 1:45 a.m. on Sunday. The line was reopened on Monday.
The incident, which occurred near Post, Texas, is under investigation. Post is about 40 miles southeast of Lubbock.
