MESA COUNTY, COLO. - At approximately 11 p.m. on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, the Grand Junction Regional Communication Center received a report from Union Pacific Railroad of a locomotive derailed in the Gunnison River. The train car had two engineers in it who reported no injuries. The derailment occurred between Highway 141 in Whitewater and the Bridgeport access to the Gunnison River, near the Mesa-Delta County line.

Immediate access to the derailment location was limited due to the remote area and no direct road access. Deputies with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office launched a drone in an attempt to determine the exact location of the derailed locomotive. Union Pacific arrived early in the rescue process with a road rail vehicle which transported paramedics and Mesa County Search and Rescue members down the track to the incident. Both locomotive engineers were rescued and transported to the staging area in Whitewater by 1:30 a.m. on December 3, 2025.

This was a multi-agency response with a high level of resources to include Grand Junction Fire Department for EMS and hazmat, Mesa County Fire Authority, and the private company SUNCOR, who provided additional absorbent booms for the leaking diesel.

Union Pacific is responding with state resources for the derailment and further hazmat mitigation and clean-up efforts.