Two Pacific Union trains collide a few miles northeast of Topeka and to the southwest of Perry, Kansas. One train was carrying coal. The other contents of the second train wasn’t revealed during the aerial view from KMBC’s helicopter showing the aftermath of the collision.
The collision happened during the overnight hours on a stretch of tracks that go through the northern part of Kansas which follows a route between Highway 24 and the Kansas River.
The train tracks run through the the most northern part of Topeka. I have seen the area of town where the tracks run while visiting the Capital of Kansas. In some areas of the metropolis you can see multiple lines of track where trains either change tracks or stop to pickup other cars.
In the area of Kansas where I live, there are multiple trains that pass through the county. In the past few years there has been one derailment in Sumner County. The one in Sumner county was due to down bursts from a storm as it passed the open farmland.
One other train derailment on the same stretch of tracks to the North in Sedgwick county. The derailment had no know cause, but was also loaded with grain. However, none of the two derailments included a collision.
At this time there isn’t any information as to why the trains collided or as to why one didn’t stop at a track switch layover.