By An Oct. 14 train derailment reported by BNSF Railway was near Mitchell.
That was confirmed on Thursday, Oct. 19 by WATCO, a transportation company that operates the Ringneck & Western Railroad.
A derailment notice from BNSF indicated the incident was near Aberdeen, but no local agencies had been made aware of a possible derailment.
That’s because it turns out it was in Davidson County.
While the derailment was on a BNSF line, it remains unclear why the incident was reported as being on the Aberdeen “main line,” which runs from Ortonville, Minn., to Terry, Mont.
The Ringneck & Western line covers 188 miles between Mitchell and Kadoka, according to a South Dakota Department of Transportation rail map.
According to reports from the Mitchell Daily Republic, two train cars hauling grain derailed, spilling contents into Dry Run Creek. That is near West First Avenue and South Minnesota Street in Mitchell.
Derailment involved six cars, WATCO says
Watco did not immediately respond to messages earlier in the week aside from acknowledging the derailment. But Thursday, Watco Communications Director Tracy VanBecelaere said six grain cars were involved in the derailment. No one was injured, she said, and no hazardous materials were involved.
No details were available on the cause of the derailment or the extent of damage.
The derailment was reported at 10:21 a.m. Oct. 14. The track was repaired and returned to service by 5:35 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15, according to BNSF.