SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. — Dollywood officials said the Dollywood Express, a popular train ride at the theme park, experienced a mechanical issue in early October.
The incident happened around 8:30 p.m. All passengers on the ride were evacuated, according to Dollywood officials. No injuries were reported.
A spokesperson for the theme park said on Oct. 23 that Dollywood officials had completed their investigation. They said a mechanical issue with the switch track could have caused a derailment. A specialized replacement for the switch will be manufactured, installed and tested before the train opens back up.
A date for when the train would reopen was not immediately available. The full statement from the Dollywood spokesperson is available below.
"Park officials have completed their investigation and identified a mechanical issue with the switch track that appears to have caused a derailment. The engineer safely brought the train to a stop.
A specialized replacement for the switch track will be manufactured, installed and tested before the train returns to service. We will share a reopening date as it is confirmed."
