Someone seen running from tracks before Wichita train derailment, conductor said
A Union Pacific conductor told 911 dispatchers that railroad employees saw someone running away from the train tracks before a derailment that shut down part of I-135, a series of open records requests by The Eagle shows.
The derailment was reported at 11:43 p.m. on March 20 in two separate calls, one by a Union Pacific manager and another by a conductor, according to 911 call logs. Around 10 cars derailed, damaging the bridge support columns holding up northbound I-135.
The derailment forced a full closure of the highway’s northbound lanes overnight as crews assessed the damage and cleared the scene. One lane on northbound I-135 reopened the next afternoon. Officials with the Kansas Department of Transportation said it’s unclear when the interstate will fully reopen.
Two columns were damaged in the derailment, Pier 3 columns E and F, an inspection report from KDOT said. Both columns were sheared off from the footing and both will need full replacement. Another column was slightly damaged, and other signs of typical bridge wear and tear were noted as well.
Records from 911 and local law enforcement revealed an additional detail: The conductor who reported the derailment and damage to bridge columns said that crews saw someone with a flashlight running from the area shortly before the incident, according to 911 call audio.
The crews did not see the person touch the switch, but told the conductor who relayed the information to Sedgwick County 911 dispatch that they believed it may have been tampered with.
“They think someone lined the switch,” the conductor said. If a switch is lined, it means that the tracks are positioned correctly to direct the train’s path and it’s ready for use.
“The switch is lined, so either something happened or someone lined it,” he said.
Workers reported seeing the person running near the K-96 lake and bridge, but were unable to provide a description because they were focused on the derailment, the conductor said.
A Union Pacific communications manager cautioned The Eagle “against speculating about the cause” of the derailment ahead of the publication of a Federal Railroad Administration report on the derailment.
A Wichita Police Department report shows officers collected DNA swabs and checked for fingerprints on the track switch and nearby signage, but no DNA or fingerprints were recovered.
“(A lieutenant with KHP) contacted me and advised he needed prints taken on a switch for the train derailment,” a general report made by a Wichita police officer said. “He advised they believe someone threw the switch causing the derailment.”
Police also recovered a weathered cigar butt near the switch. It was unclear whether it was connected to possible tampering, but it was submitted as evidence because of its proximity to the scene.
The Federal Railroad Administration is putting together a final report on the derailment, which a spokesperson with Union Pacific said usually takes three months or so to be made public. WPD’s involvement was limited to DNA and print testing.
“This is an outside assist case so we did not submit any evidence to the RFSC (Regional Forensic Science Center) for testing, unless the investigating agency requested it,” department spokesman Andrew Ford confirmed in an email to The Eagle.
Since the derailment, KDOT has gradually restored some traffic while continuing to evaluate and repair the damaged bridge columns, said KDOT spokesman J.B. Wilson.
“KDOT engineers and inspectors are coordinating on the repair approach for the damaged columns,” Wilson wrote in an email to the Eagle. “At this time, a timeline for full reopening of the bridge is not yet available.”
