Source: https://www.greatfallstribune.com, February 1, 2019

A Montana rail company official says it will likely take weeks to clean up a coal train derailment that happened this week east of Bozeman.

Montana Rail Link spokesman Ross Lane tells the Bozeman Daily Chronicle that the company has started to remove coal, tainted soil and cars from the area near Rocky Creek where 39 rail cars derailed on Tuesday.

The crash completely emptied 33 cars of their cargo. Each car can carry 135 tons of coal.

Some spilled into the creek, a tributary of the East Gallatin River. Company officials say the coal was removed from the water and environmental contractors are monitoring the water quality.

Lane says the tracks reopened to train traffic early Thursday.

Montana Rail Link has not released a cause for the derailment.