Ontario-Area Derailment Closes Street

Six empty freight cars derailed near Ontario on Wednesday, shutting down early morning traffic along a major thoroughfare for about six hours until the cars were righted.

The Union Pacific cars, which had unloaded a shipment of vehicles at the Mira Loma Auto Facility, derailed about 1:45 a.m. in the same area as they were being maneuvered by a locomotive to form a new train.

Some of the cars derailed on an overpass above Etiwanda Avenue, prompting its precautionary closure. The road was reopened at 7:43, said California Highway Patrol Officer Taylor Cooper.

The cause of the derailment was under investigation, said Union Pacific spokesman John Bromley. “This is sort of a railroad fender bender in the parking lot,” said Bromley. Most derailments occur in switching areas such as the Mira Loma facility, he said.

The derailment, which took about eight hours to clear, did not disrupt the more than 30 trains that travel daily on the adjoining main line, Bromley said.