A massive coal train derailment near Pueblo that killed a truck driver after railcars collapsed a bridge and crashed onto Interstate 25 was likely caused by a welder using incorrect materials, according to a final report from federal transportation officials.
The southbound BNSF Railway freight train jumped the track the afternoon of Oct. 15, 2023, after hitting a broken rail near a track switch just north of a bridge over I-25, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a final report. The area is about five miles north of Pueblo.
Twenty-one hopper cars loaded with coal derailed, hitting the bridge and causing it to collapse. Six railcars crashed onto the highway, killing 60-year-old California resident Lafollette Henderson, who was driving a semitruck under the bridge at the time. The crash caused $15.6 million in damage and also closed I-25 in both directions for four days.
The broken rail was likely caused by a mismatched weld that failed because a welder did not use the right materials, NTSB officials said.
BNSF welders are supposed to use a specific kit, known as a compromise kit, when welding rails that are slightly different heights – even as little as a fraction of an inch.
It doesn’t appear a kit was used when the rail was welded in May 2023, five months before the crash, leaving a gap at the base of the rail that filled with molten material, leading to cracks and the eventual break, according to the NTSB report.
“When interviewed by the NTSB, the welder who made the weld did not recall performing this weld several months earlier,” federal officials said in the report. “He was properly trained, demonstrated knowledge of when a compromise kit should be used according to BNSF procedures and reported that he had used them in the past.”
The rail broke after a test vehicle traveled over the track earlier that day, according to previous reporting.
After the accident, BNSF created a policy to analyze failed welds and retrain employees as needed. Welding supervisors also started conducting random monthly audits to confirm the correct materials are used, the NTSB said.
In a statement, BNSF officials said the company regularly conducts extensive inspections related to tracks, bridges, rails and weather events.
“…We are committed to continuous improvement and will carefully consider the NTSB’s final report and recommendations to more fully understand what lessons can be learned from this incident,” BNSF said in a statement.
No criminal charges have been filed in connection with the crash, according to court records. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation was not involved in the derailment investigation and the Colorado Attorney General’s Office does not comment on or confirm investigations, according to the agencies.
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