Grassroots group raises train safety concerns after Tosa derailment

A Union Pacific Railroad train has returned to normal operations after a four-car derailment caused it to temporarily stop Sunday evening.

However, members of one local organization still have concerns about general train safety in Wauwatosa.

The Wauwatosa Fire Department responded to a derailed train at 4:57 p.m. April 10, said Assistant Fire Chief Jim Case. The incident occurred near Home Depot on 124th Street and Capitol Drive, he said.

Fire department members verified there were no hazards and that no injuries occurred, Case said. All train cars remained upright and were believed to be empty. Case added it did not appear that any tank cars were involved.

Union Pacific Railroad was on scene when fire department officials left and will continue to investigate the situation, Case said.

The derailed cars were cleared as of 7 a.m. Monday, reported Jeff DeGraff, a director of corporate relations and media for Union Pacific Railroad.

"Fortunately, the derailment (Sunday) occurred within a Union Pacific yard with minimal public impact," he said in an email to NOW Newspapers.

The cause of the derailment remains under investigation, he said.

Some still concerned

In response to the incident, local progressive organization Grassroots Tosa released a statement expressing concerns about general train safety in Wauwatosa.

"As we've warned at least twice in the past — at our demonstration last summer along the State Street railroad tracks around 68th Street and at our train safety forum just a month ago — the astronomic increase in rail traffic, especially for risky oil tankers, poses a real threat to public safety in Wauwatosa and neighboring communities," the statement said.

The statement said while the April 10 derailment did not include oil tankers or injuries, Grassroots Tosa still takes the incident "very seriously."

The group is calling on railroad officials to make results of the ongoing investigation available to elected and public safety officials and that the reports are shared with the community where the accidents occur. Further, Grassroots Tosa is urging citizens to contact their local aldermanic representative and ask what can be done to require railroad companies to make those reports public.

"Oil trains roll through our village every day," the statement said. "Let's do what we can to prevent a potential disaster."