Dec. 3, 2025 ~ The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC)’s Office of Rail Safety, together with several state agencies, shares the following update on the overnight derailment of a Union Pacific train outside of Grand Junction.
The derailment occurred at 10:53 p.m., on Tuesday, Dec. 2, near Whitewater, Colorado, when a Union Pacific Railroad locomotive derailed into the Gunnison River. Two crewmen were taken to a hospital and later released. The derailment is believed to have been caused by rockfall along the rail corridor. The Union Pacific Railroad Hazmat Manager and environmental mitigation and clean-up contractors are on-site.
Multiple state and local agencies have responded to the incident. The Grand Junction Fire Department deployed booms to capture an estimated 4,460 gallons of diesel fuel that spilled into the river. Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists have been on site since early this morning sampling and tracking impacts to fish and wildlife.
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) issued emergency over size, over weight permits to Union Pacific in order to get heavy equipment to the area to extract cars and conduct hazmat clean up. Secondary roads may experience some closures for the extraction, however no impacts to I-70 are anticipated.
Per the requirements of House Bill 24-1030, Union Pacific reported the incident to the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management’s watch center. Additionally, the DHSEM West Area Field Manager was notified and provided technical assistance to the Mesa County emergency manager. HB 24-1030 also created the Office of Rail Safety (OSR) within the PUC to promote transparency, accountability, and safety in all rail operations in the state.