Yekaterinburg, 26 October. At 01:30 local time on 26 October, 20 wagons of a freight train derailed between Makartsevo and Sedelnikovo on the Reshety–Aramil section of the Sverdlovsk Railway, and seven tank cars caught fire, the Sverdlovsk Railway and the regional emergencies department said.
No one was hurt.
The burning tank cars were uncoupled at 04:47, and a recovery train towed 54 wagons untouched by the fire to a safe distance. The fire was contained by nine in the morning over an area of 1,500 square metres; 106 people and 31 vehicles were involved. The derailment blocked the adjacent track and traffic on the section was halted; passenger trains do not run there. What the tank cars were carrying has not been officially disclosed.
Rospotrebnadzor will check air quality near the nearest homes. Transport investigators have opened an inquiry; the causes of the derailment are being established.
What it means: A major freight accident on the approaches to Yekaterinburg caused no injuries but led to burning tank cars and a halt to traffic on the section.
Who benefits: Nobody. Delays affect freight on a section of the Sverdlovsk Railway; the environmental consequences of the fire will be assessed by Rospotrebnadzor.
Background: The Reshety–Aramil section is double-track and electrified; passenger trains do not use it.
