Will the March Union Pacific Derailment Outside Reno Lead to Better Safety Precautions?
Reporting and graphic by Lucas Lugo
On March 27th, Union Pacific engine #7449 was hauling freight 20 miles east outside of Reno, when up to 25 cars of its freight derailed on the mainline next to I-80 shortly before 7:00 a.m.
After a quick response from Truckee Meadow Fire Protection and Nevada State Police, Union Pacific officials arrived to take control, starting their efforts to clear the debris.
Initially, a lane on eastbound I-80 was closed, Amtrak passengers in Salt Lake City were told their train would not be arriving and westbound Reno passengers had to take a bus to Truckee where their train would be waiting.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board’s accident database, an accident investigation is still ongoing and has yet to yield a preliminary report.
Despite the NTSB and Union Pacific both being asked for comment on further information, such as the train’s total length and the cost of cleanup, neither responded.
This local derailment happened in what could be called a post-East Palestine era. The 2023 derailment in that town in Ohio resulted in a hazardous spill disaster, setting off a movement to reevalute railroad safety regulations, such as shortening freight trains and improving safety maintenance.
Nearly 40 cars derailed in East Palestine on February 3rd, 2023, with several of these burning for more than two days and emergency crews also conducting controlled burns, which released hydrogen chloride and phosgene into the air.
There have been 315 mainline Union Pacific derailments reported to the Federal Railroad Administration or NTSB since the East Palestine accident. In 2026, including the Reno incident, there were only 22 reported—a definitive drop from the previous years where that number was the monthly average.
Another notable number from the data averages train lengths to be around 84 cars long, which can be 3,360 feet to 5,880, depending on the length of each train car. Before East Palestine, Union Pacific trains would run anywhere from 13,000 to 20,000 foot long trains.
Only until after the investigation is published will there be any light shed on what actually happened 20 miles from Reno, hoping it will lead to even more precautions and safety.
Meanwhile, a photo just sent in to Our Town Reno on right of attached visual shows there is lots of work remaining in terms of the clean up. Initially, specialized heavy-lift cranes were used, with inspectors reported to be focusing on potential track defects or mechanical issues with the lead cars.
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