More than a dozen train cars, including some carrying hazardous materials, derailed in Mansfield on Thursday morning, prompting a shelter-in-place order for residents in the area after some cars ended up in a river.
Emergency crews responded to the train derailment in the area of Route 32 shortly after 9 a.m. and found that multiple cars had toppled over into with the Willimantic River, according to Connecticut State Police, Mansfield town officials and the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Officials said 14 of the 43 train cars derailed from the southbound freight train, which was carrying a conductor and an engineer. Six of the cars were carrying liquefied petroleum gas, including four that ended up in the river, according to Mansfield Fire Chief John Roache. The other cars were carrying “general goods” and cooking grease, he said at a news briefing at the Mansfield Fire Station.
Crews inspect the scene after a train derailment in Mansfield on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)
No injuries were reported.
Town officials called for all residents within ½ a mile of the derailment to shelter in place. Despite media reports indicating an evacuation would be ordered, officials in the afternoon hours said no such order had been issued.
“There is concern for hazardous material contamination, but that has not yet been confirmed,” Mansfield town officials wrote in a statement. “No evacuations are ordered at this time, but please watch for updates as authorities on the scene evaluate the situation.”
Gov. Ned Lamont told reporters in West Hartford that he had been briefed on the train derailment and that he was hearing positive news under the circumstances.
Crews inspect the scene after a train derailment in Mansfield on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)
“Right now, we’ve got DEEP on the ground,” Lamont said. “We’ve got drones flying overhead. Detecting no gas leaks. We think it’s (petroleum) gas and grease. That’s a really good thing. The rail company is there right now, trying to get those train cars up right. Do that very carefully — make sure nothing breaks that will create some potential leakage. I think we’re telling everybody within a limited distance: stay at home for now, if you can. But I think we’re going to be OK.”
At the news briefing, Roache said crews at the scene did not immediately detect any breaches from the train cars carrying the liquefied petroleum gas. Residents were encouraged to continue sheltering in place with their windows closed, as the gas is odorless, until crews could confirm that no leaks posed a threat. Roache said he expected that could happen as early as the evening hours on Thursday.
Hazmat teams spend the day monitoring the air, which did not detect any flammable leaks as of the afternoon hours. They also worked to check each individual car to ensure it did not leak.
Mansfield Fire Chief John Roache speaks during a press conference Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, at Mansfield Fire Station 107 in Mansfield, about a morning train derailment. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)
According to state officials, the only leak that was found involved 2,500 gallons of cooking grease. The leak was contained at the scene.
State police said the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection’s Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security responded to the scene. The incident left Route 32 closed in both directions between Route 275 and Route 44, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Roache said he expected the road to remain closed until at least the end of the day. Cleanup of the scene, he said, would likely take a “couple of days” based on its location and the need for cranes and other heavy equipment.
DEEP’s Richard Scolar speaks during a press conference Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, at Mansfield Fire Station 107 in Mansfield, about a morning train derailment. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)
DEEP officials said they were expected to remain at the scene until all of the cars were put back onto their wheels and safely removed from the area.
Mansfield Emergency Management Director Adam Libros advised residents that they would be alerted through the emergency notification system if an evacuation order became necessary.
“Fortunately, right now, it appears that the situation is under control,” Mansfield Town Manager Ryan Aylesworth said.
Aylesworth was expecting to issue a local declaration of emergency and said he would activate the town’s virtual emergency operations center “out of an abundance of caution” to ensure information was getting out to residents.
Mark Mirko/Connecticut Public
A train derailed in Mansfield Thursday morning, raising concerns of environmental contamination in a nearby waterway. The incident involved about a dozen New England Central Railroad train cars, some of which were carrying liquefied petroleum gas. (Mark Mirko/Connecticut Public)
According to Roache, the train was with the New England Central Railroad, which is owned by the Genesee & Wyoming, Inc. It was not immediately clear where it was headed, he said.
Roache said the cause of the derailment remains under investigation.
Information from Courant reporter Christopher Keating was used in this report.