Governor Gianforte Surveys Montana Rail Link Train Derailment

• June 25 2023

REED POINT, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today surveyed the Montana Rail Link (MRL) train derailment in Stillwater County and received a briefing from Unified Command.

“Folks in Stillwater County have been working around-the-clock to keep Montanans safe, ensure the safety and quality of our water supply, and protect the treasured natural resource we have in the Yellowstone River,” Gov. Gianforte said. “We’ll continue to do our part to support the response of Montana Rail Link and county officials as they assess their ongoing needs.”

Gov. Gianforte receiving a briefing at the site of the Montana Rail Link train derailment 

On Saturday morning, a MRL train near Reed Point derailed into the Yellowstone River. State agencies, including Montana Disaster and Emergency Services, Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, immediately mobilized to respond alongside county and federal partners.

On Saturday afternoon, Unified Command was established among MRL, Stillwater County, DEQ, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

At the site of the derailment today, the governor received an incident command briefing from Stillwater County Fire Chief Rich Cowger. He also received updates from MRL, which will assume costs associated with cleanup, recovery, and rebuilding its bridge.

Officials on the scene stated that preliminary water quality testing results show no effect on downstream water users.

After receiving the briefing and touring the site, the governor held a press conference alongside members of the Unified Command team.

###