Crews made railroad repairs in Los Angeles Monday after a train derailed near the location where thieves have been raiding cargo containers, leaving the tracks littered with emptied boxes of packaged good sent by retailers.

It wasn't immediately clear if the derailment that happened Saturday was caused by the debris left behind by thieves in the Lincoln Heights area near downtown Los Angeles. Union Pacific said the cause of the derailment was under investigation.

The derailment caused 17 train cars to go off the tracks, Union Pacific said in a statement. No injuries were reported.

Cargo containers aboard trains have been targeted by thieves for months, authorities said. The stolen packages are from retailers including Amazon, REI and others, the CBSLA television newscast reported last Thursday.

Union Pacific said in a statement to CBSLA that the railroad was concerned about increased cargo thefts in California.

“We have increased the number of Union Pacific special agents on patrol, and we have utilized and explored additional technologies to help us combat this criminal activity. We also will continue to work with our local law enforcement partners and elected leaders,” the railroad company said.

Amazon said it was directing inquiries to police. The United Parcel Service declined to comment on investigations into the cargo thefts but said the company was cooperating with authorities.

Share:
More In Business
IOS 17 Update to Improve iMessage Group Chats With 'Green Bubbles'
Apple's new iOS 17 has some promising upgrades in store for group chats. Previously, when a iMessage group chat contained an Android user, it would lose features such as text editing and threaded replies. Now group chats will retain those features, even when there is a "green bubble" in the mix.
Fiserv CEO Frank Bisignano Talks Move to NYSE
Fiserv President and Chief Executive Frank Bisignano spoke to Cheddar News about what the transfer to the New York Stock Exchange means for his company and how Fiserve plans to use its partnership with the exchange in the fintech space. "We do believe that we could do a lot here creatively with the stock exchange," he said. "
Load More