Cleanup crews were still hard at work Monday north of Warroad, two days after a freight train derailed early Saturday and sent dozens of cars off the tracks. The crash triggered a precautionary evacuation and shut down a key stretch of State Highway 313. Authorities reported no injuries, but a portion of the highway remained closed while hazardous-materials teams and railroad crews took stock of the damage. Heavy equipment methodically lifted railcars and cleared debris as officials worked to make the area safe for travel again.
Officials on the scene
According to a release from the Roseau County Sheriff’s Office, reported by Lakeland PBS, the derailment was called in around 4:50 a.m. and involved roughly 42 railcars. Two of those cars were identified as carrying dangerous goods, prompting officials to order a precautionary evacuation along State Highway 313 from 400th Street to County Road 137. The Patch Motel in Warroad was set up as both a meeting point and a temporary shelter for residents who had to leave their homes in the pre-dawn scramble.
Cleanup work continues
Cleanup and railroad crews stayed on site as the recovery moved into a second day, MPR News reported. Heavy machinery was brought in to upright derailed cars, and investigators were preparing to take a close look at both the track and the railcars before giving the green light to reopen the rail corridor.
Hazard checks and travel impacts
Hazardous-materials teams from International Falls and Grand Rapids handled air monitoring and leakage checks, and authorities at the time reported no environmental concerns, according to Lakeland PBS. Even so, State Highway 313 north of the Warroad airport stayed closed, cutting into local travel and access to border crossings while the work continued. Officials estimated the cleanup would take two to three days as crews stabilized the cars and cleared out the remaining debris.
What happens next
From here, the railroad will handle the technical side of the recovery while local and state agencies stay focused on public safety and communication. The Roseau County Sheriff’s Office said it will keep posting updates as monitoring and the investigation move forward. MPR News reported that environmental sampling and site assessments are expected to continue before trains are allowed to run on the line as usual.
