CUSTER, Wash. – An investigation into the derailment of an oil train in Custer last December 22nd concludes vandalism could have been a factor.
The probe by the Federal Railroad Administration faults BNSF Railway for not properly notifying crews about previous acts of vandalism to train tracks in Whatcom County.
It also cites failure by the crew to secure the train properly while it was unattended and check it when they returned.
Direct evidence of vandalism isn’t cited in the report but it is pointed to as a distinct possibility.
No serious problems were found with the train, tracks, weather or condition of the crew.
Ten cars left the tracks in the derailment and three split open, spilling over 25,000 gallons of crude oil and causing an explosion and fire that forced the evacuation of about 120 Custer residents.
Two young women face sentencing this fall after they were caught vandalizing railroad tracks near Bellingham last November, and the FBI is investigating as many as 40 similar incidents in Whatcom County.
The FBI hasn’t released results of its investigation into this derailment yet.
You can read the full FRA report here.