History Fertilizer Train

Throughout the years, there have been many stories of fertilizer trains crashing on their way to their destination. Many of these are ancient history; fertilizer train wrecks still occur in small numbers however to this day. One such incident occurred in 2004, when two cargo trains crashed head on. This deadly crash not only killed numerous people, but also severely damaged two cars that were carrying liquid fertilizer. Most of the fertilizer actually leaked into a nearby ditch, and some of it was able to be recovered. While this crash was pretty devastating, the world is no stranger to the history behind fertilizer train wrecks.

There have been many train crashes involving fertilizer throughout the years. One such incident occurred in Neyshabur, Iran. Involving a freight train carrying fertilizer and other products actually started moving on its own, picking up speed on its treacherous descent downhill. The inevitable explosion ended up killing almost 200 people. In 1998, a Union Pacific train carrying ammonium nitrate ( a common fertilizer) had three cars derail from the train. One of the cars carrying the fertilizer rolled down a steep hill, finally coming to rest on its side a few feet from a local river. Thankfully, this was one incident where no one was seriously hurt.

Because chemical fertilizers pose such a fire hazard, a train crash involving any type of chemical fertilizer can spell disaster for property and people standing in the way. Not to mention, chemicals from the explosion can filter into the air causing untold health problems in individuals around the area where the wreck occurred. Additionally, the widespread crashes that have happened throughout history have prompted better chemical fertilizer management when transported on freight trains. Throughout history, fertilizer train wrecks have become the topic of much debate.