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New Mexico Train Derailments 2026

Quick answer: New Mexico had 10 train derailments in 2026 through August, the latest month in the FRA data, compared with 6 in January-August 2025. 2025 ended with 8 derailments. FRA figures run 2-3 months behind: for a derailment today, see accidents today.

Updated 2 November 2026 · FRA records through 31 August 2026 · Source: Federal Railroad Administration, Form 54 (public domain)

Looking for a derailment today? Official FRA data lags 2-3 months, so recent crashes are not on this map yet. See accidents today (every accident report from the last 24 hours) and the live accident map, which lists rail accidents from news reports every 15 minutes, or New Mexico accidents today.

Derailments 2026

January-August (FRA)

Same period 2025

January-August

With hazmat cars damaged

0 with a hazmat release, 2026

0 / 0

Killed / injured

in derailments, 2026 to date

Map · 2025-2026

New Mexico train derailment map

Every derailment in New Mexico reported to the FRA in 2025 and 2026, placed at the coordinates the railroad reported. Click a dot for the railroad, cars derailed, hazmat, injuries, cause and the official FRA report.

Year

State

Hazardous materials

Train

18 derailments shown

Death, or hazmat released Injuries, or hazmat cars damaged No injuries or hazmat damage Bigger dot = more cars derailed

Latest records

Latest train derailments in New Mexico

Newest first, as filed by the railroads. Filters above also apply to this list.

Date	Place	Railroad	Cars	Hazmat	Hurt	Cause (FRA)	Report
2026-08-25	Santa Rosa, Guadalupe County	Union Pacific Railroad Company	30	8 damaged	none	Joint bar broken (insulated) Railroad's description ZG4CI-24 DERAILED ONE ENGINE (TRAILING DPU) AND THE 29 CARS BEHIND DPU CONSIST. THIS OCCURRED WHILETRAVELING 49MPH COMING INTO SANTA ROSA NM, MP 694.89.	FRA
2026-07-12	Belen, Valencia County	BNSF Railway Company	3	none	none	Deviation from uniform top of rail profile Railroad's description YBEL2022 12 RCO PULLING ON YARD TRACK DERAILED 3 RAILCAR DUE TO DEVIATION FROM UNIFORM TOP OF RAIL PROFILE. NO HAZMAT RELEASE. 3 OF 3 IN THE SAME PLACE.	FRA
2026-07-08	Albuquerque, Bernalillo County	BNSF Railway Company	3	none	none	Switch damaged or out of adjustment Railroad's description YABQ301107 PULLING ON YARD TRACK DERAILED 3 RAILCARS DUE TO SWITCH DAMAGED OR OUT OF ADJUSTMENT. NOHAZMAT RELEASE	FRA
2026-06-09	Clovis, Curry County	BNSF Railway Company	2	27 in train	none	Independent (engine) brake, improper use (except actuation) Railroad's description HKCKBEL108 PULLING ON YARD TRACK DERAILED 2 RAILCARS DUE TO INDEPENDENT (ENGINE) BRAKE, IMPROPER USE(EXCEPT ACTUATION) (H023)	FRA
2026-06-01	Belen, Valencia County	BNSF Railway Company	2	2 in train	none	Failure to release hand brakes on car(s) (railroad employee) Railroad's description HELPBEL131 SHOVING YARD TRACK DERAILED 2 RAILCARS DUE TO FAILURE TO RELEASE HAND BRAKES ON CAR(S) (RAILROAD EMPLOYEE). NO HAZMAT RELEASE	FRA
2026-05-28	Gallup, Mckinley County	BNSF Railway Company	8	none	none	Coupling speed excessive Railroad's description VGUPPHX328 SHOVING ON YARD TRACK DERAILED 8 RAILCARS DUE TO COUPLING SPEED EXCESSIVE AND BUFFERING OR SLACK ACTION EXCESSIVE, TRAIN HANDLING. NO HAZMAT RELEASE.	FRA
2026-04-30	Clovis, Curry County	BNSF Railway Company	1	none	none	Broken Rail - Detail fracture from shelling or head check Railroad's description Y-CLO302-2-29A DERAILED 1 RAILCAR DUE TO BROKEN RAIL - DETAIL FRACTURE FROM SHELLING OR HEAD CHECK.NO HAZMAT RELEASE.	FRA
2026-04-05	Belen, Valencia County	BNSF Railway Company	2	none	none	Kicking or dropping cars, inadequate precautions Railroad's description YBEL203205 RCO KICKING RAILCARS, KICKED RAILCARS THROUGH A IMPROPERLY LINED SWITCH STRIKING A MOVINGSWITCH JOB DERAILING 2 RAILCARS DUE TO KICKING OR DROPPING CARS, INADEQUATE PRECAUTIONS AND A SWITCH IMPROPERLY LINED. NO HAZMAT RELEASE.	FRA
2026-01-11	Clovis, Curry County	BNSF Railway Company	3	none	none	Shoving movement, man on or at leading end of movement, failure to control Railroad's description YCLO101211 SHOVED THROUGH A SWITCH, CHANGED DIRECTIONS AND DERAILED 3 RAILCARS DUE TO SHOVING MOVEMENT, MAN ON OR AT LEADING END OF MOVEMENT, FAILURE TO CONTROL. NO HAZMAT RELEASE.	FRA
2026-01-08	Santa Teresa, Dona Ana County	Terminal Switching Services	1	none	none	Automatic brake, excessive Railroad's description THE ENGINEER ON JOB 2 FAILED TO ENSURE HE HAD THE PROPER AMOUNT OF AIR IN HIS BP BEFORE SHOVING BACKON A CUT OF CARS. COMBINED WITH EXCESSIVE HORSE POWER AND THE BP NOT BEING WITHIN PROPER RANGE 1 CAR WAS PUSHED OUT OF THE TRAIN.	FRA
2025-11-13	Lordsburg, Hidalgo County	Union Pacific Railroad Company	10	10 damaged	none	Broken Rail - Head and web separation (outside joint bar limits) Railroad's description LKH15-13 CREW WAS PULLING A CUT OF CARS WEST OUT OF 140 TRACK TO INTERCHANGE WITH AZER. CONDUCTOR WAS LOOKING WEST AS THE CUT WAS PULLED PASSED HIM. HE THEN HEARD A THUMPING NOISE AND LOOKED BACK, HESAW THE RAIL ROLLED AND CARS DERAILED AND IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE MOVE. INVESTIGATION FOUND A BROKENRAIL HEAD AND WEBB...	FRA
2025-10-03	Loving, Eddy County	BNSF Railway Company	1	none	none	Broken Rail - Bolt hole crack or break Railroad's description RSWE006103 PULLING ON YARD TRACK DERAILED 1 CABOOSE DUE TO BROKEN RAIL - BOLT HOLE CRACK OR BREAK. NO HAZMAT RELEASE. NO INJURIES.	FRA
2025-06-07	Belen, Valencia County	BNSF Railway Company	8	8 in train	none	Independent (engine) brake, improper use (except actuation) Railroad's description HPHXBEL105 PULLING ON YARD TRACK DERAILED 8 RAILCARS DUE TO INDEPENDENT (ENGINE) BRAKE, IMPROPER USE(EXCEPT ACTUATION) (H023). NO HAZMAT RELEASE.	FRA
2025-05-09	Belen, Valencia County	BNSF Railway Company	2	none	none	Automatic brake, other improper use Railroad's description HPHXBEL108A DERAILED 2 RAILCARS DUE TO AUTOMATIC BRAKE, OTHER IMPROPER USE. NO HAZMAT RELEASE	FRA
2025-03-24	Belen, Valencia County	BNSF Railway Company	7	none	none	Moveable point switch frog improperly lined Railroad's description HWELBEL420 ON MAIN 2 TRACK DERAILED 7 RAILCARS DUE TO MOVEABLE POINT SWITCH FROG IMPROPERLY LINED. NO HAZMAT RELEASE.	FRA
2025-02-13	Lajoya, Socorro County	BNSF Railway Company	8	3 damaged	none	Broken Rail - Detail fracture from shelling or head check Railroad's description L SWE1111 13 ON SINGLE MAIN DERAILED 8 RAILCARS DUE TO BROKEN RAIL - DETAIL FRACTURE FROM SHELLING OR HEAD CHECK. NO HAZMAT RELEASE.	FRA
2025-02-01	Vaughn, Guadalupe County	BNSF Railway Company	12	1 damaged	none	Broken Rail - Detail fracture from shelling or head check Railroad's description SLBTLPK129 ON MAIN 1 TRACK DERAILED 12 RAILCARS DUE TO BROKEN RAIL - DETAIL FRACTURE FROM SHELLING OR HEAD CHECK. NO HAZMAT RELEASE.	FRA
2025-01-22	Carlsbad, Eddy County	BNSF Railway Company	2	none	none	Interference (other than vandalism) with railroad operations by nonrailroad employee Railroad's description CREW REPORTED CARS ON THE GROUND OUTSIDE OF INDUSTRY WHEN THEY APPROACHED THE GATES. CARS ROLLED OUTOF THE INDUSTRY AND WENT THROUGH THE SPLIT-POINT DERAIL ON BNSF TRACK. INDUSTRY UNAWARE. INDUSTRY HAD $12,515 IN EQUIPMENT DAMAGE. NO HAZMAT RELEASE.	FRA

"Cars" counts derailed cars and locomotives. "Hazmat" counts cars carrying hazardous materials: released = some product escaped. Showing up to 50 rows; the map has all 18.

News reports · last 30 days

Recent rail accident news

Headlines our live monitor matched as rail accidents. These are news reports, not FRA records: details may change and some will never meet the FRA reporting threshold.

28/10 30 People Died As Fatal Train Accident Postpone Copa Del Rey Matches www.yardbarker.com · United States

28/10 ‘Thoughts & Prayers’: Sergio Garcia Breaks Silence With Message for Victims After Deadly Train Crash Claims 68 Lives www.essentiallysports.com · United States

Trend · 2015-2026

New Mexico train derailments by year

2026 covers January-August only. Each derailment is counted once, even when more than one railroad filed a report.

* 2026 to date (January-August, preliminary). Source: FRA Form 54, distinct accidents with accident type "derailment".

Why trains derail

Top causes of train derailments in New Mexico

The railroad codes a primary cause on every report from FRA's train accident cause code list. We group the codes into FRA's five main groups and their sub-groups, in plain English.

2026 (to August) · 10 derailments

Human factors (crew actions and rules)

6 · 60%

Track defects (rails, ties, switches, roadbed)

4 · 40%

2025 · 8 derailments

Track defects (rails, ties, switches, roadbed)

4 · 50%

Human factors (crew actions and rules)

3 · 38%

Other: weather, loading, obstructions, unknown

1 · 13%

Sub-group (2025-2026)	Derailments
Broken rails, joint bars, ties and fasteners	6
Train handling and make-up (slack action, braking, heavy cars placed wrong)	4
Switching moves: shoving, coupling, derails left on	2
Track geometry: wide gauge, misaligned or buckled track	1
Switches, frogs and other track appliances	1
Hand brakes and securing parked cars	1
Excessive speed	1
Switches lined wrong, not locked or run through	1
Vandalism, outside interference, under investigation or unknown	1

Most common exact causes (FRA wording)	Derailments
Broken Rail - Detail fracture from shelling or head check	3
Independent (engine) brake, improper use (except actuation)	2
Joint bar broken (insulated)	1
Deviation from uniform top of rail profile	1
Switch damaged or out of adjustment	1
Failure to release hand brakes on car(s) (railroad employee)	1
Coupling speed excessive	1
Kicking or dropping cars, inadequate precautions	1
Shoving movement, man on or at leading end of movement, failure to control	1
Automatic brake, excessive	1

Counts for 2025 and 2026 to date. The sub-groups sum only the top rows. A cause "under investigation" is updated when the railroad amends its report.

Railroads

Railroads with the most derailments in New Mexico

By the railroad that filed the main report. Large railroads run far more train-miles, so a higher count does not by itself mean a worse safety record.

Railroad	2026 (to Aug)	2025
BNSF Railway Company	8	7
Union Pacific Railroad Company	1	1
Terminal Switching Services	1	-

"-" = not in that year's top list.

By county

New Mexico derailments by county, 2025-2026

County (as reported to FRA)	Derailments
Valencia	6
Curry	3
Guadalupe	2
Eddy	2
Bernalillo	1
Mckinley	1
Dona Ana	1
Hidalgo	1
Socorro	1

Counties with big rail yards tend to top this list: 83% of the New Mexico derailments on the map happened at a train speed of 10 mph or less.

All train accidents

Collisions and other train accidents in New Mexico

Derailments are the largest group of rail equipment accidents. The same FRA reports also cover collisions, fires and trains hitting obstructions.

Accident type (FRA)	2026 (to Aug)	2025
Derailment	10	8
Rear-end collision	0	1
Other impact	1	1
Other (see narrative)	1	0
All rail equipment accidents	12	10

Highway-rail crossing crashes appear here only when train or track damage passed the FRA threshold; most crossing crashes are reported on a separate form (FRA F 6180.57) and are not in this table.

Questions

Train derailments: FAQ

How many train derailments have there been in New Mexico in 2026?

FRA accident reports show 10 train derailments in New Mexico from January to August 2026, against 6 in the same months of 2025. The most recent months can still grow as late reports arrive. Each derailment is counted once even when two railroads reported it.

Was there a train derailment today?

Official FRA data runs about 2-3 months behind (the latest record is from 31 August 2026). For derailments reported in the last 24 hours, see the accidents today page and the live map on our home page, which pull rail accident reports from news sources every 15 minutes.

What causes most train derailments?

In 2025-2026 FRA data for New Mexico, the most common cause group is human factors (crew actions and rules) (50% of derailments with a coded cause). Track problems such as wide gauge from bad crossties and broken rails, and human factors such as switches lined wrong and shoving moves in yards, lead the list. 83% of the derailments mapped here happened at 10 mph or less, typically in yards and sidings.

Where can I see a map of train derailments in New Mexico?

The map on this page shows every derailment in New Mexico reported to the FRA for 2025 and 2026, coloured by severity: red when someone died or hazardous material was released, amber for injuries or damaged hazmat cars.

How many train derailments happen a year in the US?

Between 2015 and 2025, FRA data counts roughly 991 to 1,377 train derailments a year in the United States (991 in 2025). Only accidents above the FRA damage reporting threshold are counted.

Where does this data come from?

From the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA): railroads must file Form FRA F 6180.54 for every rail equipment accident above a damage threshold. The data is published on data.transportation.gov and is US government public domain.

Sources and method

About this data

Source: Federal Railroad Administration, Rail Equipment Accident/Incident Data (Form 54) on data.transportation.gov (readable view of the source dataset aqxq-n5hy). US government work, public domain. Cause groups: FRA train accident cause codes (Appendix C of the FRA reporting guide).
What is counted: accidents with FRA accident type 01 (derailment) that caused damage above the FRA reporting threshold. Each accident is counted once by its FRA incident key, even when two or three railroads filed reports. Killed and injured are the accident totals; hazmat cars are added up across the railroads' reports.
Lag: railroads report each month's accidents by the end of the following month and FRA publishes after that, so the data runs 2-3 months behind. The latest month can still rise as late reports arrive. This page re-checks FRA once a day.
Map positions are the latitude and longitude the railroad entered on the report; a few may be approximate.
Not included: accidents below the damage threshold, transit systems that do not report to FRA, and Canada. Canadian rail occurrence statistics are published by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.