Union Pacific Railroad Says Rail Broken By Cold Weather Led To Accident

GORE, Okla. (AP) -- A Union Pacific spokesman says a train derailment that sent seven railroad coal cars tumbling into a creek near Gore was caused by a weather-damaged rail.<br/><br/>Nobody was injured

Friday, January 26th 2007, 6:19 am

By: News On 6

GORE, Okla. (AP) -- A Union Pacific spokesman says a train derailment that sent seven railroad coal cars tumbling into a creek near Gore was caused by a weather-damaged rail.

Nobody was injured in the accident on January 17th on a bridge near Gore, about 30 miles south of Muskogee. A total of 14 cars derailed. An 80-foot bridge span collapsed after being damaged by falling railroad cars.

Railroad spokesman Joe Arbona says the track looked good the last time it was inspected, but a wintry blast that sent temperatures plummeting compromised the rail.

Union Pacific fixed the track and the bridge after the accident and cleaned up the spilled coal.

The accident happened during a cold snap in which ice blanketed the eastern side of the state.