Train that derailed in El Centro is back on its track

EL CENTRO, Calif, (KYMA, KECY), Work crews with Union Pacific Railroad have been working non-stop to clean up the train derailment that took place in El Centro Monday night.

The train derailment at the intersection of 8th street and the train tracks caused 31 rail cars to roll over on to their side.

No injuries were reported, but the incident raised concern about a possible gas leak, leading to the evacuation of 300 people who live along the train tracks.

Antonio Mercado, who lives directly in front of the railroad says the train rolled over like a set of domino tiles.

He’s no stranger to incidents happening on the train tracks, he’s lived there for 25 years and says he wasn’t too concerned.

“The cars were empty if they would have had gas or petroleum. We would have smelled it, once you smell it’s go time and you better run. Something like that can destroy the entire neighborhood," said Mercado.

According to Union Pacific Railroad, the 31 rail cars that rolled over included empty tanker cars and hopper cars.

Crews worked overnight to lift the cars back on their wheels. It took dozens of men and heavy machinery to assemble the train back together.

Although the train is back on track, UPR says each car needs to be assessed thoroughly to ensure it is deemed safe for travel.

The train sustained heavy damage with visible dents along its exterior sides.

UPR says the cause of the derailment is still under investigation.