ROANOKE, Texas — Investigators are working to determine the cause of an overnight train derailment in Roanoke that shut down lanes along U.S. 377.
Randy Klaus couldn't help but notice the damage and emergency crews on his way to work at Mil Amores Mexican Restaurant across the street from the derailment.
"Kind of scary in one way," said Klaus.
He captured the clean-up on his cell phone Tuesday morning as engineers worked to get the engine to one of their trains back on track.
Union Pacific 5392 derailed in Roanoke near U.S. 377 and Denton Street at 3:30 a.m., according to a Union Pacific spokesperson.
Four train cars derailed including the engine. Three of the cars knocked off the track contained coal but there were no chemical releases.
"In addition to damages to the railroad, a power line has sustained damage due to impact from a repair excavator," the City of Roanoke said in a statement.
No injuries were reported and the Roanoke Fire Department responded to help navigate the traffic.
Klaus says the train tracks across from the restaurant are very busy, and after seeing the aftermath of the derailment he's grateful it is not much worse.
According to the Federal Railroad Administration, Texas is in the top three states for train derailments along with Illinois and Pennsylvania. Nationwide there were 742 derailments this year, and in 2022 that number hit 1,259.
Although the exact cause has not been released, Klaus shared with WFAA what a railroad worker told him about the accident.
"He told me that one of the switchers on there from last night froze and when they switched it to change tracks, it didn't, it misfired, malfunctioned."
In a statement sent to WFAA, a spokesperson for the locomotive company said "We apologize to pedestrians and motorists for any inconvenience this may cause."
The cause of the derailment is under investigation. The City of Roanoke anticipates all repairs to be completed by Wednesday afternoon.