Freight Train Derails in Connecticut, Sending Cars Carrying Liquid Propane Into River

Crews inspect the scene after a freight train derailment, in Mansfield, Conn., on Feb. 5, 2026. Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant via AP

MANSFIELD, Conn.—A freight train derailed Thursday in Connecticut, sending cars carrying flammable liquid propane into the water, though officials say they don’t appear to be leaking.

Local and state officials said the derailment happened around 9 a.m. in Mansfield, near where Eagleville Lake meets the Willimantic River. The rural town in the eastern part of the state is home to the University of Connecticut.