NTSB officials released a preliminary report stating that the unexpected emergency brake activation occurred without an employee having done so.
24-car train derailment caused by unexpected emergency brake activation, NTSB report saysWednesday, April 8, 2026 4:50PMA 24-car train derailment that caused heavy traffic backups in the Richmond area last month was caused by an unexpected emergency brake activation, according to the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation.
The derailment happened on Highway 90 near Oakbend Hospital just before noon on March 18, officials said.Authorities say 'it could take days' to clear train derailment scene in Fort Bend County Officials said the train had 137 rail cars in total, including those that derailed. Of those train cars, one was carrying corn syrup that spilled, and the other two were leaking ethanol, but authorities said there were no threats at the time. NTSB's report said that 120,000 gallons of ethanol were released.The NTSB said the train's emergency brake deployed without a crew member doing so; however, officials said this information is preliminary. The investigation will continue, officials said, with the aim of preventing this kind of crash from happening again.Data from the U.S. Department of Transportation showed that there were 174 train accidents in Texas in 2025 and 103 derailments.
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