Train Derailment in Shawnee County Results in $562,052 Damage

Eight Railroad Companies Report 172 Derailments Since 1975 in Kansas Hub

A condemnable wheel forced 15 Union Pacific rail cars off the tracks in Topeka this January, adding another costly derailment to Shawnee County’s rail history. The U.S. Department of Transportation has tracked 172 derailments in the county since 1975, with total damages exceeding $13.5 million. These accidents span eight different railroad companies, from major carriers to Amtrak, and include two fatal crashes in the past 14 years.

5 Key Points

• A faulty wheel triggered 2024’s first major derailment in Topeka.
• Union Pacific owns more than half of all recorded derailments in the county.
• The 2011 derailment of 33 cars cost nearly $2 million, marking the costliest accident.
• Shawnee County logged its worst year in 1977 with 15 separate derailments.
• Two fatal accidents occurred between 2010 and 2023, both involving truck-train collisions.

1977 Marks Peak Year for Rail Accidents

Shawnee County’s rail network recorded its highest accident count in 1977 when 15 separate derailments struck within twelve months. These accidents caused $65,990 in equipment damage and $64,586 in track repairs. According to calculations from in2013dollars.com, the combined damages would total $680,167 in today’s currency.

Union Pacific Dominates County’s Railroad History

Department of Transportation data shows Union Pacific’s 90 documented derailments led all carriers in Shawnee County since 1975. The Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad follows with 22 derailments, while the St. Louis Southwestern Railway records 19 incidents, and the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway lists 18. Burlington Northern Santa Fe reports 16 derailments, with Missouri Pacific Railroad, Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas Railroad, and Amtrak accounting for the remaining six accidents.

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Fatal Accidents Mark Recent Years

A Union Pacific train struck Carl Myles’ cement truck as he exited Bettis Asphalt Concrete Supply’s parking lot on July 18, 2023. The collision ruptured a gas line, engulfing the 67-year-old Topeka resident’s truck in flames. The train’s crew was able to escape injury, but Myles lost his life. This tragedy followed a similar 2010 accident, when a truck driver died after failing to stop at a private crossing, resulting in $50,000 in equipment damage.

2024 Begins With Major Derailment

Transportation investigators identified a deteriorated wheel as the cause of January 22’s derailment, which caused $562,052 in damage when 15 Union Pacific cars left the tracks. The incident follows the county’s costliest accident in 2011, when a broken rail derailed 33 cars of a 142-car Union Pacific train, requiring nearly $2 million in repairs.