Northeast Iowa train wrecks draw federal attention

Federal investigators are looking into a series of train derailments in northeast Iowa over the last three years. At least ten trains operated by the I-&-M Raillink have left the tracks since August of 1997. The latest was near Ossian (ah’-shun) in November of last year. Other derailments occurred near Postville, Lawler, Jackson Junction, Castalia, Dubuque, Bellevue, Marquette and Muscatine. No one was seriously hurt in any of the derailments, but at least three of the accidents involved hazardous materials. The Federal Railroad Administration is now conducting a “focused inspection” of the company’s operation.