Earth Changes and the Pole Shift
Train derailments
JUST IN - Massive fire erupts after train carrying ethanol derails in Tepetitlán, Mexico, November 1, 2025 VIDEO: https://t.me/ZetaTalk_Followers/78651 Planet X was described as affecting the Earth from afar, like tugging on the edge of a spider web where the effects are felt elsewhere on the web; in this way there has been an increase in earthquakes and unpredictable weather going back years, even before Planet X entered the solar system, due to the increased swirling of the Earth’s core. It is therefore logical that an increase in train derailments would accompany any increase in seismic activity – train tracks need to be straight and even the slightest shift to the side of a section of track would cause a train to derail. The area most affected by train derailments is the stretch zone. Stretch zone quakes are silent, and people are generally unaware anything is happening, although signs such as booms and trumpet sounds can occur. This zone stretches from Western Europe across the Eurasian Plate, and also includes the South-East United States, the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Red Sea and the African Rift. In other parts of the world, shifting ground is more associated with earthquakes that people are aware of, such as the Pacific which is compressing, so authorities inspect railway tracks after any seismic activity, reducing the likelihood of accidents. |
Starr DiGiacomo
CHEM SPILL: Pasco train derailment dumps hydrochloric acid
PASCO — A railroad official says several cars have derailed in a switching yard and thousands of gallons of a toxic chemical spilled.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe spokesman Gus Melonas says the train was moving at less than 5 mph in the Pasco yard when seven cars went off the tracks about 5 p.m. Sunday.
He said a valve on a tanker car was damaged, causing the leak. By 9:30 p.m. about 12,500 gallons of hydrochloric acid had spilled.
Melonas said there were no injuries.
He said officials have determined there is no threat to the public with the spill occurring in a remote area of the yard, far away from any homes or businesses.
Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/05/16/2016471/chem-spill-pasco...
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/05/16/2016471/chem-spill-pasco...
May 18, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Amtrak train delayed after 1 car derails in Dallas
© 2011 The Associated Press
May 16, 2011, 9:13AM
DALLAS — An Amtrak train delayed several hours in Dallas after one set of wheels went off the tracks has resumed its journey.
Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari (mag-lee-AR'-ee) said Monday that no one was injured in the incident involving the Texas Eagle, when runs from San Antonio to Chicago.
He says one car Sunday afternoon had a mechanical problem while nearing Union Station. Magliari says passengers were moved out of that car to other ones, so the damaged car could be removed from the train.
The train entered the Dallas station about 6:35 p.m. Sunday and departed by 9 p.m.
The Texas Eagle carried 174 passengers and crew.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/7566601.html#ixzz1MlWdtp00
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/7566601.html
May 18, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
MAX Train Commuters Had Big Delays From Derailment
To isolate the train so crews could safely begin working on the problem, overhead power in the entire yard was turned off. Sixteen trains were unable to leave the yard on time. These trains were scheduled to leave Ruby Junction to serve on three lines: Blue, Green and Yellow. The disruption affected service across the system and continues to, primarily on the 1-205 portion of the Green Line and Blue Line service east of Gateway Transit Center.
Around 6:30 a.m., power was restored to the yard, and crews were able to manually throw switches so the backed-up trains could leave the yard. Moving the trains onto the alignment took significant time. Riders experienced significant delays – up to an hour – while trains returned to regular schedules.
Shuttle buses were immediately deployed to serve customers between E 172nd Ave and Cleveland Ave stations since Blue Line trains scheduled to head east were not able to make those trips. Shuttle buses were in service until 9:30 a.m. due to significant gaps in service.
MAX service the rest of the day is not expected to be impacted.
http://www.kxl.com/MAX-Train-Commuters-Had-Big-Delays-From-Derailme...
May 18, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
MTA Subway Disruptions Continue Due to Derailment
May 17, 2011 2:12 PM EDT
There was a work-train derailment north of the Dekalb Avenue station in Brooklyn. According to officials with the Metropolitan Transit Authority, as a four-car train was coming off the Manhattan Bridge, one of the cars went off the tracks. The train carried MTA employees, but there were no injuries.
- Downtown D trains are running on the F line between the West 4th Street-Washington Square Station and the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue Station.
- Select D trains run local in both directions between the 59th Street-Columbus Circle Station and the 145th Street Station.
- Downtown trains are running on the line between the Canal Street Station and the Dekalb Avenue Station.
- Select downtown N trains are running on the D line from the 36th Street Station (Brooklyn) to the Coney Island-Stilwell Avenue Station.
Furthermore, the Long Island Rail Road has suspended service on the Ronkonkoma Branch between Ronkonkoma and Farmingdale. A train struck a vehicle on the tracks east of Deer Park this morning.
Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/147128/20110517/mta-subway-disrupti...
http://newyork.ibtimes.com/articles/147128/20110517/mta-subway-disr...
May 18, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Freight train with chemicals derails in Germany
A freight train has been derailed in southwest Germany between German Freiburg and the Swiss city of Basel, leading to a toxic spill. The accident disrupted traffic on one of the busiest railway lines leading into Switzerland.
The crash spilled a large amount of oil tar and chloroacetate. These substances are highly flammable, and threaten human health. Complete evacuation was carried out within a 500 meter radius of the crash site. Some 300 people were forced to leave homes and jobs. No injuries were reported.
The exact causes of the disaster have not yet been determined. Movement along the Freiburg-Basel section will resume no earlier than Saturday.
http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/05/21/50602504.html
May 21, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Cargo train derails in Germany
Mulheim, a southern German town, survived a disaster after a train carrying chemical and explosives jumped its tracks, police in Baden-Wurttemberg state said on Friday.
Police said the eight-compartment train skidded near the train station in the town, causing a flow to huge of amounts of dangerous substances to pour on the ground.
Local authorities said hundreds of people were evacuated from the scene as traffic along the busy Freiburg section has been suspended.
Experts fear the spill may result in a major environmental disaster.
http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/05/21/50612753.html
May 23, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
MORAN, Kan. — Firefighters continue to battle a blaze in southeast Kansas that erupted when 32 cars of a Union Pacific train derailed.
A 23-miles stretch of U.S. 59 is closed after the derailment early Monday about 5 miles south of Moran. No injuries were reported.
Union Pacific spokesman Mark Davis said the train, traveling between Kansas City and Fort Worth, Texas, included three cars that contained ethalene, a liquefied flammable gas. They started a fire that was being fed by plastic pellets in other cars, he said.
He said rail traffic will be diverted to other lines until cleanup is complete, and he didn't know when that would be.
As a precaution about three homes near the rural accident site were evacuated. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/1e8efe7af77f4b6fa5e36701d86d...
May 24, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Train cars derail in Bangor
Last modified May 24, 2011, at 12:02 a.m.
BANGOR, Maine — Railroad police late Monday afternoon were still on the scene of a derailment in Bangor that sent seven cars off the track behind Eastern Maine Medical Center.
The derailment occurred about 6:45 a.m. Sunday, according to Cynthia Scarano, spokeswoman for Massachusetts-based Pan Am Railways.
Scarano said investigators were still working late Monday afternoon to determine what caused the derailment.
Six of the cars that went off the tracks were carrying gypsum wallboard and one was empty.
“What they are trying to do now is get the track back together,” Scarano said. She said that the affected section of track is the company’s freight main line for the region and that the track is expect to remain out of service until at least Tuesday morning.
The train, which consisted of two locomotives and 29 cars, was en route from Calais Junction to Ayer, Mass., when the derailment occurred, Scarano said. She said no one was injured in connection with the incident.
http://new.bangordailynews.com/2011/05/23/news/bangor/train-cars-de...
May 24, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Train Derailment in Kansas Sparks Big Fire
By Associated Press
Mon 11:14 AM 05/23/2011
The highway was closed from Moran to the Kansas 39 intersection east of Chanute.
A 23-mile stretch of U.S. 59 in southeast Kansas is closed after several cars of a Union Pacific train derailed, causing a large fire.
The Allen County Sheriff's Department says some of the 15 cars that derailed from the 80-car train were filled with ethanol alcohol.
The derailment occurred early Monday about four miles south of Moran. The highway was closed from Moran to the Kansas 39 intersection east of Chanute.
Deputies went door to door to homes near the derailment to warn residents of the threat. The Iola Register reports that crews could do little more than watch as the fireball burned. A plume of smoke was visible as far west as Iola.
No injuries were reported.
The cause of the derailment is under investigation.
Post a comment
Aurora Derailment again?!? Doesn't it make all of us wonder how common it is?
Monday 23 May 2011 22:05 | Report this commentMay 24, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
UNION COUNTY, NC (WBTV) - Officials have reopened Highway 75 in Mineral Springs nearly 24 hours after a train collision killed two crew members and injured two other workers early Tuesday morning.
Photo Gallery
Click here to view a photo gallery of the train wreck
Two locomotives traveling northbound collided at 3:38 a.m. near the intersection of Highway 75 and South Potter Road.
CSX Spokesman Gary Sease said investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board would be in charge of the investigation into the cause of the crash.
In addition, the Federal Railroad Administration will be investigating the accident.
Sease said officials are not sure if the collision was caused by human error or mechanical failure. Investigators will be looking at on-board cameras from both trains.
They will also be working with the train dispatch center in Florence, South Carolina, which monitors which trains are on the tracks at any given time.
The first train that was stopped on the tracks was heading from New Orleans to Hamlet, NC. It had nine freight cars and was transporting items such as concrete and scrap metal.
The second train had 12 freight cars and was traveling from Atlanta to Charlotte. Some of the cars were filled with clothing. When the trains collided, the clothing kept burning making it nearly impossible to extinguish.
The fires were completely extinguished by late Tuesday night and officials reopened Highway 75 around 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday once all fire trucks and apparatus were cleared from the road.
The two crew members killed included a locomotive engineer and a conductor. Their names have not been released. Both of these men were on the second train which crash into the stopped train.
The two crew members on the stopped train received minor injuries only.
Sease says there were more than 4,500 gallons of diesel fuel which leaked out of second train after it collided with the stopped train. He said the fuel made the fire extremely difficult to contain.
Officials say they will be conducting soil and water containment in the immediate area to ensure the leaked fuel and water sprayed on the fire doesn't contaminate surrounding land or drinking water.
Sease said these tracks are considered "high volume" and that 15-20 trains use these tracks daily. The trains that would normally travel in this area have been re-routed onto other tracks until the wreckage is clear.
While the tracks did not sustain major damage, some minimal repair will be necessary before trains are allowed transport cargo in this area. They are bringing in 50-feet sections of replacement tracks.
Resident James Bailey says he made the first call to 911 to report the collision. Since he didn't know what was on board, the emergency dispatcher told him to leave his home immediately.
Bailey's home is so close to the tracks, he actually heard a voice coming from the rubble.
"I believe he [conductor] was trapped from the way he sounded and, evidently, he couldn't move, he was just crying out," Bailey said.
Bailey's nephew, whose first name is also James, actually climbed through the mangled mess of metal to help.
"I just heard one of the conductors screaming for help, he was in and out of consciousness and the other one was pretty calm about everything," Bailey said.
James Bailey and his nephew stayed with the injured workers until rescue crews arrived on the scene.
One employee on the second train died at the scene. The other employee died after being transported to Carolinas Medical Center-Main.
"I wish to express my deepest sympathy to the families and coworkers of the two CSX workers who lost their lives in this tragedy," said Mineral Springs Mayor Rick Becker.
The American Red Cross opened a temporary shelter Tuesday morning at the Mineral Springs United Methodist Church for residents living near the collision who were evacuated from their homes.
That's where we found resident Shirley Ritter who was still shaken by what happened. But this isn't the first time she's had to quickly evacuate from her home due to an emergency situation.
"I'm a survivor of Katrina, and my first instinct was, Father God, I thank you, I don't wish nothing on nobody else... I just wish whatever it is, it's a distance so we can get out of here," Ritter said.
A representative with the American Red Cross said a dozen families were displaced from their homes and six of them are temporarily staying in local hotels.
One evacuee said he was told his family would have to remain in the hotel three to seven days before they are allowed to return home.
http://www.wbtv.com/story/14702934/train-derailment-causes-road-clo...
May 25, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Derailment shuts down Kelowna bound line
RELATED
A freight train has derailed on the Kelowna Pacific Railway south of Vernon.
The accident took place around 4 a.m. Monday on a stretch of rail below the Kalamalka Lake lookout parallel to Highway 97.
The rail has broken and six lumber product cars have derailed.
Recovery work is taking place through the week, according to KPR General Manager Kevin Woods. Locomotives are on the way to help move all the derailed cars.
The Kelowna Pacific Railway is a 200 km shortline that connects goods with the CP mainline in Kamloops. The KPR is a subsidiary of KnightHawk Rail Ltd.
The KPR handles approximately 9,000 carloads per year. The major commodities are forest products, grain, and industrial products.
Woods says no one was injured and no property was damaged, which is likely because the train was traveling less than 15 km/h.
The KPR line between Vernon and Kelowna will be back in operation by the weekend, according to Woods.
An investigation continues into the accident. Woods says the KPR line has not had a derailment in more than four years which, he says, is above average.
http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/Derailment+shuts+down+Kelowna+bound...
May 25, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Train derails in Brunswick
Six cars, including one carrying liquid fertilizer, off track in Eagle Bridge
By LEIGH HORNBECK Staff writer
Updated
WHITE CREEK -- Six cars in a train operated by the Batten Kill Railroad derailed Wednesday and three overturned, owner William Taber said. There were no injuries and Taber said he doesn't know yet why the derailment happened.
One car was carrying liquid fertilizer, which began to leak slowly, Taber said, but the fertilizer was not a hazardous material. The liquid was collected in buckets and carried away while the car was drained.
A tanker truck from the Carovale Company in Salem was brought in to suck out 20,000 gallons of fertilizer.
The other cars were loaded with grain.
The Washington County Hazardous Materials Team was called to the scene, Greenwich-Cambridge Police Chief George Bell said.
Taber was driving the train at about 10 MPH when the cars went off the track in Eagle Bridge. Derailments are not unusual, said Taber, a veteran engineer after 25 years on trains, but this is the worst one he's seen as the owner of the Batten Kill Railroad.
"We'll get it back together pretty quick," he said.
The train runs from Greenwich to Salem to Eagle Bridge.
According to its website, the railroad is based in Greenwich and carries 40,200 tons of grain, fertilizer, logs and wood pulp in 413 cars annually over 34 miles of track.
May 26, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
By Beacon Journal staff
POSTED: 01:50 p.m. EDT, May 25, 2011
Authorities say a portion of Gilchrist Road just north of Mogadore Road could be closed until Friday after a train derailment Wednesday morning.
Police Chief David Fowler said three train cars carrying lumber along the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway lines derailed Wednesday about 7:45 a.m. at the Gilchrist Road crossing.
No one was injured, although a motorist narrowly escaped being struck by a snapped utility pole, police said. No hazardous materials were spilled.
A cause of the derailment has not been determined.
Gilchrist Road, between Munroe Falls and Mogadore roads are closed. Trucks may enter the industrial parkway in the area.
Fowler said railroad officials are waiting for equipment to lift the train cars and clear the heavily damaged crossing. The equipment is expected to arrive from Toledo by Friday, he said.
Authorities say a portion of Gilchrist Road just north of Mogadore Road could be closed until Friday after a train derailment Wednesday morning.
Police Chief David Fowler said three train cars carrying lumber along the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway lines derailed Wednesday about 7:45 a.m. at the Gilchrist Road crossing.
No one was injured, although a motorist narrowly escaped being struck by a snapped utility pole, police said. No hazardous materials were spilled.
A cause of the derailment has not been determined.
Gilchrist Road, between Munroe Falls and Mogadore roads are closed. Trucks may enter the industrial parkway in the area.
Fowler said railroad officials are waiting for equipment to lift the train cars and clear the heavily damaged crossing. The equipment is expected to arrive from Toledo by Friday, he said.
http://www.ohio.com/news/break_news/122600644.html
May 26, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
TODAY, I'M HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME STAYING ON THE INTERNET WHEN I SEARCH THE US LOCAL NEWS FOR TRAIN DERAILMENTS. THERE IS A HUGE UPTICK IN TRAIN DERAILMENTS BUT WHEN I TRY TO READ THE ARTICLE, I'M BOOTED OFF IMMEDIATELY AS IF I'M BEING TOLD. YOU DON'T LIVE IN THIS AREA, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO READ THIS PAPER. MY GUT TELLS ME THIS WILL BE HAPPENING TO ALL OF US AS WE DILIGENTLY POST THE EARTH CHANGES. TPTB ARE PLAYING THEIR HAND AT MAINTAINING INTERNET SECRECY. IF THEY CAN'T SHUT DOWN THE INTERNET, THEY WILL USE WHATEVER TACTIC THEY CAN TO SLOW DOWN THE RUSH OF INFORMATION BEING SHARED. THIS IS JUST IMO BUT IT'S HAPPENING TO ME AND I'VE HAD TO HIGHLIGHT THE ADDRESS BAR IMMEDIATELY BEFORE I'M BOOTED OFF AND THEN GO BACK AND TRY TO QUICKLY COPY AND PASTE WHAT I CAN. AS FAST AS I TRY TO DO THIS IS AS FAST AS I'M BOOTED. I HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH NON NEWS AFFILIATED LINKS. I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN ITS ENTIRETY BUT THIS WAS ALL I COULD GRAB. INTERESTING.
WRGB
According to the Washington County dispatch, a train on the Battenkill Railroad line has derailed in the town of Eagle Bridge. Officials tell CBS6 the train was carrying propane tanks as cargo. HazMat teams are on their way to the scene. ...
May 26, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Trains delayed after engine derails near Panipat
LUDHIANA: Commuters had a tough time on Tuesday owing to delay in arrival of trains. The derailment of an engine in the rail yard, near Panipat resulted in the delay. The commuters were seen inquiring the status of the trains for reaching their destinations but even the railway employees at the inquiry counters seemed helpless as they were unable to inform the exact reasons for the delay.
However, the tracks were cleared in one hour but it disturbed the schedule of major trains like Shatabdi Express, Malwa Express, Happa Jammu Tawi Super Fast, Shane Punjab and Dadar Express. These trains were delayed for more than three to four hours adding to woes of the commuters who kept waiting for the trains to arrive.
When contacted, divisional traffic manager at the city railway station Parminder Singh said, "An engine derailed in the rail yard in Diwana station near Panipat because of which the rail track was obstructed. By afternoon the movement of trains had returned to normalcy."
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-05-25/ludhiana/295...
May 26, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Japanese train derails, injuring 39 people
The government ordered the railway company, JR Hokkaido, to carry out a thorough investigation into the incident
Tokyo: An express train in Japan derailed and caught fire inside a tunnel overnight, injuring 39 passengers, railway officials said on Saturday.
http://gulfnews.com/news/world/other-world/japanese-train-derails-i...The injured were taken for hospital treatment though no-one was seriously hurt, officials said.
The train, carrying 240 passengers, made an emergency stop inside a tunnel on the northern Hokkaido island on Friday after its driver noticed smoke emerging from the train.
The passengers escaped but the fire continued to burn until early on Saturday morning, destroying the six-carriage train.
Officials and emergency workers found marks on the track and said one of the carriages had apparently derailed just before entering the tunnel.
The government ordered the railway company, JR Hokkaido, to carry out a thorough investigation.
Naotoshi Nakajima, president of JR Hokkaido, apologised for the accident.
"This serious accident caused injuries to so many of our passengers," he told reporters. "We are extremely sorry. We will investigate the cause and will draft prevention measures," he said.
May 28, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
MOSCOW, May 28 (UPI) -- A cargo train carrying fuel oil derailed in eastern Siberia, spilling an undetermined amount of fuel oil on the ground, Russian officials said.
The derailment Friday involved the locomotive and 22 oil tanker cars, 14 of which were carrying the fuel oil, RIA Novosti reported Saturday.
The head spokesman for the East Siberian Railway, Yevgeny Khokhryakov, initially said the train wasn't carrying hazardous cargo and said no spill occurred.
The report didn't say why the train derailed. There were no injuries and railway workers were working to restore rail services.
At least 10 passenger trains were delayed because of the accident, officials said.
Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2011/05/28/Russian-train-der...
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2011/05/28/Russian-train-der...
May 29, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Train derails on Bure Valley Railway
Lucy Wright Monday, May 30, 2011
9:23 PM
Passengers were left shaken but uninjured after a train came off the rails on the Bure Valley line on Monday afternoon.
Around 50 passengers were on the train at Brampton when the front of it derailed at 3.25pm.
Edwin Rose, 61, a retired archeologist from Reepham was travelling in the first carriage when the crash happened.
He said: “The sound was horrific. It was an awful screeching sound and when I looked out of the window I could see pebbles flying up everywhere.
“ I was sitting in the first carriage and could see through to the second carriage. I saw wheels crash up through the floor of the carriage.
“A woman was sitting directly above the wheels and her husband saw them coming up and lifted her out of the way with a fraction of a second to spare.
“When we managed to get off the train, we were told we could wait for a taxi or walk the two miles to Aylsham.”
About 20 to 30 people walked along the footpath, including a man pushing his disabled son in a wheelchair.
“When we reached a crossing a lorry stopped and offered the man and his disabled son a ride to Aylsham.” Mr Rose said.
*Were you on the train? Contact reporter Lucy Wright on 01603 772495 or email lucy.wright@archant.co.uk
http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/train_derails_on_bure_valley_ra...
May 31, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Train derails on Bure Valley Railway
Lucy Wright Monday, May 30, 2011
9:23 PM
Passengers were left shaken but uninjured after a train came off the rails on the Bure Valley line on Monday afternoon.
Around 50 passengers were on the train at Brampton when the front of it derailed at 3.25pm.
Edwin Rose, 61, a retired archeologist from Reepham was travelling in the first carriage when the crash happened.
He said: “The sound was horrific. It was an awful screeching sound and when I looked out of the window I could see pebbles flying up everywhere.
“ I was sitting in the first carriage and could see through to the second carriage. I saw wheels crash up through the floor of the carriage.
“A woman was sitting directly above the wheels and her husband saw them coming up and lifted her out of the way with a fraction of a second to spare.
“When we managed to get off the train, we were told we could wait for a taxi or walk the two miles to Aylsham.”
About 20 to 30 people walked along the footpath, including a man pushing his disabled son in a wheelchair.
“When we reached a crossing a lorry stopped and offered the man and his disabled son a ride to Aylsham.” Mr Rose said.
*Were you on the train? Contact reporter Lucy Wright on 01603 772495 or email lucy.wright@archant.co.uk
http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/train_derails_on_bure_valley_railway_1_...
Jun 2, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Barry Fitzgerald
June 2, 2011BHP's Pilbara mishap. Photo: Supplied
RAIL services at BHP Billiton's highly lucrative iron ore operations in the Pilbara have resumed after a derailment on the group's main Newman line.
The derailment occurred on Saturday and BHP said any impact on the group's production would be shown in its June-quarter production report, due on July 20.
''No employees were injured or at risk and the relevant authorities have been notified,'' BHP said.
The group's iron division is investigating the cause of the derailment. No other details were provided but Pilbara sources said the damage bill could be as much as $20 million, given the damage to the locomotives.
BHP is the No.2 iron ore producer in the Pilbara behind Rio Tinto. Like Rio and third-ranked producer Fortescue Metals, BHP is spending up big to capitalise on the China-led boom in iron ore prices. In March, BHP's board approved $US7.4 billion in new capital investment.
The investment will lift BHP-owned and managed iron ore production in the Pilbara to more than 220 million tonnes a year.
Safety at its Pilbara iron ore operations has been a focus for BHP following a run of fatal accidents in 2008-09. At the time, BHP's iron ore president, Ian Ashby, said the five deaths in the West Australian operations were unacceptable. ''The reverberations of these events to business performance will be felt for some considerable time but, clearly, we won't relent until we've eliminated these sorts of incidents from our operations,'' he said.
Mr Ashby has since added that the deaths ''were partly due to a poor attitude to safety in the region''. ''There is a complacency generally in the Australian workforce and a bit of an arrogance. I think some of that is quite manifest in the Pilbara.''
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/train-derails-on-bhp-line-20110601-1...
http://www.smh.com.au/business/train-derails-on-bhp-line-20110601-1...
Jun 3, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Coal cars derail in West Alton
UPDATED at 5:40 p.m. with revised information from a railroad spokesman
WEST ALTON • Sixteen rail cars carrying coal went off the tracks Wednesday afternoon in West Alton, including seven that overturned, a Burlington Northern Santa Fe spokesman said.
Chief Richard Pender of the Rivers Pointe Fire Protection District said there were no injuries and no fire in the derailment, which took place about 1:30 p.m.
The incident occurred alongside farm fields near Saale Road. A cause was not immediately available.
The Burlington Northern spokesman, Andy Williams, said crews arrived later in the afternoon to begin cleaning up the scene - including coal that dumped out of the cars. The train had 134 cars overall, each carrying coal.
It was the second time in recent weeks that a coal train derailed in the area. On May 15, Pender said, nine cars went off the track within 500 to 700 feet of the site of Wednesday's incident.
Williams said train traffic was cut off because of the derailment and that the railroad will get trains moving as soon as possible.
Pender said after the previous incident the railroad had the situation "squared away" in less than 24 hours.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/stcharles/article_dc11a088-8c84-...
Jun 3, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Station Road in Amherst still closed a crews work to clear train derailment
Published: Wednesday, June 01, 2011, 1:14 PM Updated: Wednesday, June 01, 2011, 2:26 PM
AMHERST - Station Road remains closed today as crews work to clear the scene of a train derailment that happened around 2 p.m. Tuesday.
No injuries were reported in the incident, which saw seven freight cars carrying steel billets spill across the road and into the surrounding woods.
The crossing at Station Road is blocked by a single 65-foot gondola car, according to an update on the town's website.
The train was owned by New England Central Railroad, the St. Albans, Vt. company that operates on the 400 miles of track between the Vermont and Quebec borders and New London, Conn.
The cleanup effort began around 10 a.m. today after the arrival of specialized heavy equipment.
W. David Ziomek, who is acting as town manager while John P. Musante is away, said Tuesday that it could take days to clear the scene.
In addition to the closing of Station Road, the Norwottuck Rail Trail is also closed from Station Road to Southeast Street and from Station Road to Belchertown.
While the incident was not considered a hazardous materials emergency, the derailment caused heavy damage to the tracks and damaged a Sprint fiber optic transmission cable.
Sprint personnel were at the scene Wednesday working to repair the cable.
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/06/station_road_in_amhe...
Jun 3, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
18 railcars derail from train in Harpersville; no injuries
A train derailed near the intersection of Dead Hollow Road and Rock School Road in Harpersville Friday around 3 p.m. Out of the train's total of 97 cars, 18 rail cars came off the tracks. Some of those cars contained hazardous, federally-regulated chemicals. None of the hazardous chemicals leaked from their containers, confirmed the Shelby County Sheriff's Office.
The train was a CSX Transportation train headed from Birmingham to Atlanta. It is still too early to determine the cause of the derailment. No injuries have been reported.
As a precautionary action, residents within a 300 yard radius of the derailment site were evacuated and local roadways closed to all traffic. The fact that none of the hazardous material leaked greatly reduces the the risk to local residents and first responders to the scene. People who live in the area should be able to return to their residences soon.
The Harpersville Police, Alabama Department of Environmental Management, Shelby County Sheriff's Department and other local agencies are responding to the scene of the derailment.
FOX6 News has crews at the scene and will update this story as more information becomes available.
http://www.myfoxal.com/story/14836123/18-railcars-derail-from-train...
Jun 4, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
ZetaTalk: Imploding Cities
Note: added during the Nov 30, 2002 Live ZetaTalk IRC Session.
Cities have several stories under them, where electrical wires and plumbing run, so as to keep this from the streets above. It is not just those cables and pipes buried in roadways, but the deep basements of skyscrapers that we are addressing. The Earth, in areas where it is being stretched, like the entire eastern portion of North America and western portion of Europe, will find the ground adjusting. What does it take to break a supporting structure, causing the mass to come down? And if the mass drops, the buildings where this plumbing went up into are finding a tug down where they were least designed to expect this. This weakens the infrastructure of the building, and it then starts to implode and plummet. As in earthquakes, building affect their neighbors, and fire starts and spreads. When would this start, and where? We are not allowed to pinpoint the city or estimated date, just as we are not allowed to do so with earthquakes. However, we can say this, that anyone living in stretch zones should expect this to happen at any moment, as the trail derailments have shown that earth movements of this kind, a separating of support, has started. Many cities are rooted in rock, but this also can shift, one side down, the other tilted up, and this alone would cause adjustments in the cities above. In cities in compression zones, or slip-slide, the results are similar, but accompany quakes. This, city disasters along with quakes, is called earthquake damage. Our imploding buildings Prediction will not be called as correct until such matters happen outside of quake accompaniment.
The North American stretch zones in relation to train derailments
Jun 6, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
SHARON, Vt. — Passengers on Amtrak's northbound and southbound Vermonter trains are going to be taking the bus between St. Albans and Springfield, Mass.
On Sunday evening two wheels of one car on the northbound Vermonter came off the track in Sharon.
Amtrak spokeswoman Danelle Hunter says there were 85 passengers and five crew members on the train when it went off the track. There were no injuries.
VERMONT IN A STRETCH ZONE.......UPTICK IN EARTH SHIFTS
She says the train has since been put back on the track and the rail cleared, but on Monday Amtrak passengers in Vermont will be bused between Vermont stations and Springfield.
Hunter says she's unsure when regular Amtrak service will resume in Vermont.
Jun 7, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Coal train cars derail east of Aitkin
About 12 cars on a BNSF coal train derailed east of Aitkin Monday afternoon.
No injuries were reported.
The train was eastbound coming from Montana and headed to Superior, Wis. when the cars derailed about 2 p.m.
The train, with three locomotives and 123 loaded cars, typically has two crew members — an engineer and a conductor.
Amy McBeth, BNSF spokeswoman, said it’s too early to say what may have caused the derailment. Railway crews were headed to the scene to assess the situation and work on the cleanup.
“We’ll have a better idea once we assess the situation more,” McBeth said.
One coal car typically carries 116 tons of coal.
BNSF reports 12 trains are typically on that line within a 24-hour period. BNSF crews will be on site to cleanup spilled coal and inspect the track for any needed repair before it will be open again. Rail cars that can be salvaged may be put back on the rails or scrapped depending on damage.
“So anytime a track is shut down that will cause delays for us and it’s an impact in the community in which we operate so our crews will be working as quickly as possible,” McBeth said.
http://brainerddispatch.com/news/2011-06-06/coal-train-cars-derail-...
Jun 7, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
BREAKING NEWS: Train derails near Bole
At noon BNSF crew members are working to clear the derailed train from the road. (Acantha photo by April Spaulding)
Crews from BNSF responded Tuesday morning to a grain train derailment in Teton County on the track near Bole between Fairfield and Choteau. One car tipped off the tracks and spilled grain into a field while the remainder of the cars, still on the tracks, blocked the railroad crossing on Basin Lane, a rural gravel road running north and south.
Teton County Sheriff Keith VanSetten said his office was notified of the derailment at about 10:30 a.m. and had dispatched a deputy to the scene. VanSetten said he suspected that weather conditions probably contributed to the derailment as the area has received significant rainfall over the past several weeks and it had been raining steadily in the area for several hours.
Gus Melonas, BNSF public affairs director from Seattle, said the train was traveling from Choteau to Great Falls at 5 m.p.h. Three cars were involved in the derailment with two upright and off the track and a third on its side. He estimated about a quarter of ton of wheat was spilled from the tipped car.
Melonas said approximately 15 to 20 BNSF personnel from around the region, Great Falls to Havre, were dispatched to the site. They will begin clean up and hope to have the area clear by late today.
He said there were no injuries in the derailment and no hazardous material involved in the spill.
On June 7 this grain train derailed on Basin Lane north of 5th Lane near Fairfield. The other portion of the train including the engine had already been set free from the derailed portion. (Acantha photo by April Spaulding)
BNSF has made no official determination on the cause of the derailment but all indications are that a saturated rail bed was the main factor.
VanSetten said he did not know of any other road closures due to flooding in the county so far, but noted that a plugged culvert on Old Highway 89 out of Fairfield between 12th and 13th lanes had caused water to flow over the roadway. The County Road Department has put up caution signs.
http://www.choteauacantha.com/articles/2011/06/07/news/doc4dee74b35...
Jun 8, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
One killed as goods train derails in Korukkupet
CHENNAI: In a freak mishap, a railway pointsman fell under the wheels of a goods wagon, which derailed at Korukkupet in North Chennai on Wednesday, killing him on the spot. The victim, who was piloting the train to the shed, was identified as Ravikumara Pillai hailing from Mavelikara near Alapuzha in southern Kerala.
According to sources, 18 wagons loaded with steel plates were headed towards the Korrukupet Goods Shed from Tondiarpet railway station for unloading. The wagons were attached to locos on both ends, driven by two Loco Pilots, besides being assisted by two pointsmen.
The pointsmen would alight near the points to manually fix the right track for the trains between Tondiarpet and Korrukupet. When the goods train was moving towards the Goods Shed at 3pm, the loco crossed over the point leading to the wrong track and derailed. Ravikumara Pillai jumped from the loco to escape, but came under the wheels of the same train, and was killed on the spot.
“Overloading of wagons and exceeding the capacity of the loco could be the prime reason for the derailment,” a pointsman, under the condition of anonymity, claimed. He said, “A loco can only pull five wagons at a given time. To move more rakes, another loco with similar capacity was attached to the tail end to push the wagons. In such a scenario, though the train moves at a snail’s pace, its movement cannot be arrested immediately despite applying the brakes due to the pressure exerted from the loco on the other end. “
Another possibility that could have led to the derailment is the split in the point. “Many children playing at the vacant plots in the vicinity imitate the pointsman to change the lever, which goes unnoticed on several occasions. This could have also caused derailment,” sources underlined.
When contacted, S Anantharaman, Divisional Railway Manager, Chennai Division, Southern Railway, said an inquiry had been ordered into the derailment. “The inquiry committee, consisting of four senior officers, will submit its report in a week. Different aspects regarding the derailment would be probed,” he added.
Root Cause Eliminated
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/one-killed-as-goods-train-derails-in-kor...
Jun 9, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
By DNA Correspondent | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA
Passengers of the 01062 Darbhanga-Mumbai Express had a narrow escape as six coaches and its locomotive derailed in the mountainous Thal ghat section near Kasara early morning on Friday.
The entire section of Thal ghat has many tunnels and viaducts. Though there were no major injuries, officials said a few passengers suffered minor injuries and were given first-aid.
Though railway officials said they were not able to ascertain the cause of the derailment immediately and had begun investigations, sources said that a welding fault leading to a crack in the long-welded rail tracks could be one of the reasons of the accident. “The cause of the investigation is yet to be ascertained,” a CR spokesperson said.
“Opened in the 1860s, the ghat section between Kasara and Igatpuri runs through a number of tunnels and a mountainous terrain, including the large Ehgaon viaduct in the section and the accident could have led to a major disaster if the train was faster,” an official said.
“Passengers from the affected coaches were shifted to other coaches and the remaining coaches of the train reached Lokmanya Tilak Terminus at Kurla at 7.50am. Passengers of other trains were detrained at Igatpuri and road transport arrangements are also being made. Additional suburban services are being run between Kasara and Kalyan,” a CR press release said.
“We are yet to pin-point the exact cause of the derailment. The line was cleared and section was thrown open by 2pm,” chief spokesperson Vidyadhar Malegaonkar said.
The East Central Railway (ECR) opened helplines in Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur and Hajipur to provide information about the passengers travelling by the train.
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_train-derails-near-kasara_155...
Jun 12, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Train derails after hitting land slip
A freight train partially derailed after hitting a slip in North Canterbury late last night.
The northbound train struck the slip between Claverley and Oaro, south of Kaikoura, about 11pm, KiwiRail spokeswoman Jenni Austin said.
The driver suffered minor injuries and was treated at a local medical centre.
Ms Austin said the crash site would be inspected at first light.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/165685/train-derails-after-hitti...
Jun 21, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
20. 06. 11. - 15:27
Mudflow derails train
A passenger train has been derailed by a mudstream.
The train – operated by German railway company Deutsche Bahn AG, had to abandon its ride after it was hit by a mudflow near Zirl, Tyrol, on Saturday evening. None of its 25 passengers were injured. They continued their journey to Innsbruck via coach.
Local authorities said today (Mon) the affected track had to be shut to remove the masses of mud. The region was just one of many Austrian areas which experienced powerful thunderstorms at the weekend.
Jun 21, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
CN Derailment north of the Yellowhead
Edmonton police say hazardous materials were not involved in a train derailment in the north end on Thursday morning.
Several CN freight cars went off the rails just east of 50th Street north of the Yellowhead.
The derailment did not disrupting vehicle traffic, although it happened on the main rail line through Edmonton.
CN was expecting to spend most of Thursday getting the area cleaned up.
No injuries have been reported, and the cause of the derailment is not known at this time.
http://www.globaltoronto.com/Derailment+north+Yellowhead/4994374/st...
Jun 24, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Derailed train carried sulfur
Posted 1 day ago
TREVOR HOWLETT
Today staff
RCMP blocked traffic along Highway 881 outside of Fort McMurray Thursday afternoon as a result of a six-car train derailment, near mile marker 268 roughly eight kilometres from Anzac.
The derailment occurred around 12:30 p.m. on a southbound CN train. CN officials responded immediately and the cause of the derailment is under investigation. No injuries were reported in the derailment. The cars were carrying sulfur, some of which leaked at the scene, but a CN representative says they aren't aware of immediate risk to the public
In addition to CN, regional emergency services responded on scene, as did a helicopter from Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, and representatives from Alberta Environment.
http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3186921
Jun 25, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
This story sticks out for me as Zetas said as the earth changes pick up and people become subconsciously aware that something is amiss, workers will not pay attention as they daydream and man made accidents will occur much more frequently.
National Briefing | West
Nevada: Truck Collides With Train
Two people were killed and at least 20 were injured on Friday morning when a tractor-trailer collided with a California-bound Amtrak train in a remote part of western Nevada. The crash occurred at a crossing about 75 miles east of Reno when the driver of the truck apparently drove into the side of the California Zephyr, which was traveling from Chicago to the Bay Area with more than 200 passengers and 14 crew members aboard, Amtrak officials said.
Trooper Dan Lopez with the Nevada Highway Patrol said that the driver of the tractor-trailer rig and one passenger on the train were killed, and that the injured were taken by helicopter and ambulance to hospitals in Reno and Fallon. The severity of the injuries was not immediately clear, he said. Several train cars briefly caught fire, though the train did not derail. Trooper Lopez said that an eyewitness indicated that the crossing gate was working and that it was down at the time of the crash. The investigation is continuing, he said.http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/25/us/25brfs-Nevada.html?_r=1
Jun 25, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Train derails in Shrewsbury, forcing street closings
A freight train derailed late Saturday night in Shrewsbury, prompting authorities to close several streets near Shrewsbury and Landsdowne avenues.
Shrewsbury Fire Chief William Fox said the derailment occurred about 10:30 pm on a bridge crossing Murdoch Avenue. The train was just leaving a nearby yard at McCausland Avenue, he said.
Fox wasn't sure how many cars derailed. But at least one was a tanker containing ethyleneamines, a corrosive substance used as a cleaning agent, he said. He said the tanker was not leaking.
Five houses east of the tracks were evacuated as a precautionary measure, and Metrolink service on the southbound Shrewsbury line was shut down at Maplewood.
About 12:30 am, emergency workers were waiting for railroad engineers to inspect the bridge to determine its stability.
Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_384fba3...
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_384fba3...
Jun 26, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Train derails in Amherst
Posted: Jun 25, 2011 8:46 PM PDT Updated: Jun 25, 2011 10:12 PM PDTA train derails in Amherst for the second time in two weeks.
The latest derailment happened Saturday near the Poor Farm Swamp in Amherst, off Station Street.
Seven cars went off the tracks and a few even went into the swamp. Officials are still investigating the cause of the derailment, but they do note this latest derailment happened close to another one that occurred two weeks ago.
No one was injured in the accident, and the contents of the cars are still unknown.
http://www.cbs3springfield.com/story/14977265/train-derails-in-amherst
Jun 26, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Mudslide causes train derailment
By:
Energeticcity.ca Staff
Saturday, June 25, 2011
A CN Rail train was derailed after a mudslide south of Chetwynd.
At approximately 1:30 a.m. Saturday, a mudslide 64 km south of Chetwynd caused a CN train to derail. The train included 6 cars and 2 locomotives.
No one was injured in the derailment and CN operations have stopped in the area.
Most of the 6 cars were empty, two contained steel pipe.
CN crews are on scene cleaning up the derailment.
Jun 26, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Train Derails, Closes Streets near Shrewsbury and Landsdowne Avenues
Shrewsbury Fire Chief William Fox said a train derailed on a bridge crossing Murdoch Avenue at about 10:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Shrewsbury officials closed several streets near Shrewsbury and Landsdowne avenues due to a train derailment that occurred at about 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, the stltoday.com news website reported.
By noon today, the news website reported that the train and a derailed car were gone and that officials were waiting for equipment to remove a damaged walkway and other debris from the bridge deck.
The 7200 block of Landsdowne remained closed to traffic, the website reported.
Shrewsbury Fire Chief William Fox said, to a Post-Dispatch reporter on Saturday night, that the train derailed after leaving a yard at McCausland Avenue and while crossing a bridge on Murdoch Avenue.
Fox said at least one train car is a tanker holding the cleaning agent ethyleneamines. The tanker was not leaking, he told the Post-Dispatch reporter.
The car was taken to the train yard this morning, the website reported.
By noon today, Shrewsbury Police Lt. Brian Catlett said railroad officials told him one train car was off the tracks before leaving the yard. The train travelled about three-quarters of a mile before the off-track car struck a wooden walkway beside the track on the bridge.
Five houses east of the tracks were evacuated as a precaution and MetroLink service was shut down at Maplewood on the southbound Shrewsbury line, the news website reported late last night.
By noon, railroad engineers said the concrete and steel trestle bridge were safe for train traffic, Catlett told a Post-Dispatch reporter. MetroLink trains are running through the area again.
This is a double whammy as the train derailed and the bridge partially collapsed so what comes first. the chicken or the egg???
Jun 26, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Train Derails In Superior, Second This Month
Superior, WI (Northland's NewsCenter) - Around 5 PM Saturday five Burlington Northern Santa Fe cars derailed under the Belknap Street Bridge.
All, but one, were upright.
Sunday morning crews were working on cleaning up coal and getting the cars back on track.
BNSF officials say they are not sure what caused the derailment and are conducting an investigation.
They also say the incident did not happen on the main tracks of the train yard and has had minimal impact on their operations.
This is the second train derailment in Superior this month.
Jun 27, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Reports on the Amtrak Crash in Nevada
By DAN BILEFSKY5:05 p.m. | Updated Investigators were examining the wreckage Sunday after a tractor-trailer plowed through railroad gates into an Amtrak train at a crossing early Friday in Nevada, killing at least six people and leaving at least 28 people unaccounted for.
The explanation for the crash, a seemingly freak accident that has drawn national attention and prompted morbid fascination, remains a mystery.
Investigators on Sunday said they were combing the area for clues as to why the truck driver breached the railroad crossing, despite ample warnings to stop, including the gates at the crossing coming down and flashing lights going off as the California Zephyr train approached. Investigators said it could take a year to determine the cause of the crash.
The tractor-trailer skidded the length of a football field before it smashed the crossing’s gates, according to The Associated Press. He died from the impact, making it more difficult to determine what happened, investigators said.
Peter Knudson, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board, said by phone Sunday that the train’s data recorder had been recovered, which could allow investigators to analyze the operation of the train’s controls at the time of the crash.
He said investigators would also be examining the cell phone records of the tractor-trailer’s driver to determine whether he was talking on the phone or sending text messages at the time of the crash. An autopsy also to be conducted this week to determine the physical state of the driver, including if he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
“We are in the fact-gathering stage of the investigation and it could take months before a picture of what happens emerges,” he said. “We have seen a lot of cases when drivers have been distracted and we want to see if this was a factor.”
The Reno Gazette-Journal reported that the truck driver was a man in his mid-40s who worked for John Davies Trucking of Battle Mountain, in northern Nevada. Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Dan Lopez told the paper that the investigation would focus on the driver’s actions leading up to the accident.
“That’s what everybody wants to know. Why did the truck collide with the train?” Mr. Lopez said. “Unfortunately, since he was pronounced dead, he’s the only one who can tell us that prior to the investigation.”
Earl Weener, a member of the safety board told reporters that two truck drivers and a train engineer watched helplessly as the accident unfolded. He said that the drivers were part of a three-truck convoy.
The engineer of the train slammed on the emergency brakes and hoped the train would not derail, Mr. Weener said. But the train, which was going about 78 miles an hour, traveled a half mile more before it stopped. The engineer watched the truck smash into 2 of the train’s 10 cars through the rearview mirror, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported.
Video posted on the Web site of the Reno Gazette-Journal shows the smoldering train; the footage also shows the remains of the tractor-trailer, its tires dislodged from the vehicle.
Aerial photographs of the crash site reveal a plaintive scene: the railway crossing surrounded by fields, the windows of the charred train apparently blown out from the impact.
Among the dead, the Churchill County Sheriff’s office reported, was the train conductor. According to local news reports, the conductor was 68-year-old Laurette Lee of South Lake Tahoe, Calif, a mother of three and grandmother of five who came from a railroad family. Her grandfather Hilary Turley and her great-grandfather Aaron Turley were both railroad men. Her brother is an Amtrak dispatcher; her nephew a conductor.
In a profile of the conductor in the Contra Costa Times, her family recalled that she started her career in the railroad 23 years ago, working as a baggage handler and ticket-taker, before being promoted to conductor. About two years ago, she left Concord and moved to South Lake Tahoe and worked out of Amtrak’s Reno headquarters, her relatives said.
Her nephew Ben Rankin, the conductor, told the paper that 10 years ago his aunt had mentored him when he decided to enter the railroad fraternity, standing by his side and guiding him as he conducted his first train.
“She takes care of everybody she comes into contact with,” Mr. Rankin said. “I wouldn’t have done it without her.”
The westbound California Zephyr was en route from Chicago to Emeryville, Calif., with 204 passengers and 14 crew members on board when it was hit.
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/26/reports-on-the-amtrak-c...
Jun 27, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Place: Mumbai | Agency: PTI
Train services on the Harbour lines were affected after wheels of a local train derailed at Reay Road station today, officials said.
Two wheels of a coach of CST bound train were derailed at 11.35am at Reay Road station today. However, no causalities have been reported.
"Harbour line services in Dn direction -- CSTM to Panvel are running on Harbour line as usual. However, in Up direction -- towards CSTM they were diverted to main line between Kurla and CSTM. Shuttle services were being operated between Vadala Road and Bandra/Andheri for passengers of that section," Central Railway PRO AK Singh said.
The cause of derailment is under investigation.
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_wheel-derails-throws-mumbai-s...
Jun 29, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Train derails in Greater Noida after colliding with bus
Indo-Asian News Service, Updated: June 28, 2011 14:31 IST
The private bus, which was empty except for the driver, broke up into pieces following the impact of the collision. It was crossing the track between the Ajayabpur and Dankaur railway stations around 4.50 am.
The bus driver found the rail-crossing gate open and attempted to drive across to the other side when he saw the Gorakhdam Express, coming from Gorakhpur towards Delhi, speeding towards him, said Anil Kumar Gautam, station officer of Government Railway Police at Aligarh railway station.
The driver jumped off the bus and managed to flee just before the speeding train rammed into the vehicle.
The rail-crossing gateman was critically injured and about half-a-dozen people sustained minor injuries.
Officials said the movement of around 35 trains, including the Lucknow-bound Shatabdi and the Kolkata-bound Rajdhani, were disrupted for close to five hours.
According to Mr Gautam, the private bus was trying to cross over to fill CNG when the engine developed a fault and the vehicle stalled in the middle of the rail track.
Due to the impact, the bus was hurled into the air and broke into pieces. The train engine also derailed, disrupting movement of trains on the track. Train movement could be restored only after the third track was opened following repairs.
Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/train-derails-in-greater-noida-a...
http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/train-derails-in-greater-noida-a...
Jun 29, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Railway closed after freight train derails
Posted Thu Jun 30, 2011 12:32pm AEST
Queensland Rail says the main western railway could be closed west of Emerald until Saturday after a train derailment early yesterday.
A QR National freight train struck a bridge at Blackboy Creek, between Emerald and Alpha.
Queensland Rail says crews are still carrying out repairs.
The Spirit of the Outback passenger train stopped at Emerald yesterday, and passengers are being transferred by bus from Longreach today.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/30/3257574.htm?section=b...
Jun 30, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
A Norfolk Southern Railroad freight train derailed in Monroe County north of Juliette on Wednesday morning.
The spokesman for Monroe County emergency services, Shane Cook, said one of the trains 48 cars was carrying the hazardous chemical, chlorobutane.
Sheriff John Cary Bittick said no chemicals were spilled and no one was hurt.
Even though they jumped track, all 18 derailed cars stood upright.
Norfolk Southern's director of public relations, Susan Terpay, said 18 cars of the 48-car train derailed at 8:30 a.m.
She said "no hazardous materials are involved in the derailment."
Crews are working around the clock to get the cars back on the rail, and repair the track.
A news release says between 25-30 trains use the track everyday, and it's expected to re-open Thursday.
The cause of the derailment in under investigation.
http://forsythmonroe.13wmaz.com/news/news/norfolk-southern-train-de...
Jun 30, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Train carrying automobiles derails in Bullitt County; no one injured
8:17 PM, Jun. 30, 2011 | 9 Comments
Bullitt officials talks about train derailment: Bullitt County officials talk about the train carrying automobiles that derailed in the same location as a train carrying chemicals did several years ago.
A train carrying vehicles from the Ford plant in Louisville derails in Bullitt County. (By Scott Utterback The Courier-Journal) June 30, 2011 / cj
Train derailment in Bullitt County near Ky. 1020. (By Tony Cundiff, Special to The Courier-Journal)
Tom Price was standing near his garage on Huber Station Road Thursday afternoon when he saw cars from a train hauling new automobiles tumble off the tracks that run past his home.
“The brakes all came on the train and the only thing you could see was the white” plume of dust, Price said.
Seventeen cars of the 48-car CSX train derailed shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon near Brooks in Bullitt County — at roughly the same location as a fiery train derailment in 2007.
The train was traveling south from the Osborn rail yard at Grade Lane and Outer Loop bound for Tampa, Fla., said Bryan Glover, CSX spokesman for Kentucky.
No one was injured in the derailment. Thursday evening the train remained twisted over the tracks and spilling into the yards of nearby homes along Ky. 1020 (Coral Ridge Road) and Huber Station Road. A few new automobiles that had been in train carriers were scattered about, a witness said.
The cause of the derailment is being investigated, Glover said. He wouldn’t speculate about how long the investigation might take but estimated that clearing the train from the area would take between 16 and 24 hours.
The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the accident, said Zoneton Fire Chief Rob Orkies, but the Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office believes it might have found a possible cause to the derailment.
Late Thursday, the sheriff’s office announced that it was looking for a tractor trailer that may have damaged the track minutes before the incident.
Witnesses reported seeing a dark green tractor trailer attempting to turn around on Coral Ridge Road and striking the tracks as it was backing up, said Chief Deputy Sheriff John Cottrell.
The truck left the area and about five minutes later the train derailed near the same point where the truck struck the tracks, Cottrell said.
Ky. 1020 was shut down Thursday night in a half mile stretch between East and West Blue Lick roads. In addition, Huber Station Road was closed to anyone who didn’t live on it.
Zoneton Fire, Shepherdsville Police and the Bullitt County Sheriff’s Office responded to the incident.
Jul 2, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Grass derails Bicol Express ‘soft run’ sked
By Jaemie Quinto, Juan Escandor Jr.990 AM, Southern Luzon
Naga City, Philippines—A six-hour delay marred the much-touted “soft run” of the Bicol Express train as it encountered a stretch of soft, potentially dangerous ground on its way here.
And, according to one account, the revived railway service also ran into another unexpected hazard: Grass.
The Philippine National Railway (PNR) maintained that despite this “minor delay,” Train No. 611 arrived safely at 10:24 a.m. Thursday with 53 passengers and crew from the Tutuban station in Manila.
Five hours earlier, the train was forced to make a “safety stop” with less than 40 kilometers to go, after “portions of uneven tracks” were discovered in the Malaguico area between Lupeviejo and Sipocot towns in Camarines Sur province, the PNR said.
The uneven tracks were caused by “underground water seepage” that eroded the soil following days of heavy rain brought by Tropical Storm “Falcon” last week, the state-run company explained in a statement.
“In the interest of public safety on its maiden voyage, the PNR crew decided to halt its travel to avoid possible derailment of the train,” the company said.
Engineers have been testing the route since last year, the company said, but “unfortunately, due to water seepage in that area, it caused a delayed erosion (Wednesday) night.”
After undergoing repairs, the affected tracks were declared safe at around 9 a.m.
According to the PNR, the Bicol Express can complete the Manila-Naga trip (or vice-versa) in just under 10 hours—or about the same time as a bus ride.
But the train that left Manila at 6:15 p.m. on Wednesday made it to Naga the next day after 16 hours.
On and off
The Bicol Express carries a whiff of nostalgia for many people with its on-again, off-again operations since 1938. Plagued by lack of funds for repairs and new coaches, it has gone idle in the last five years after Supertyphoon “Reming” ravaged the southern Luzon region in 2006.
“(This) long hiatus definitely took its toll on the conditions of the rail tracks,” said PNR General Manager Junio Ragragio.
In an interview with Radyo Inquirer, PNR spokesperson Jera Sison said the train to Naga also had to make brief stops to have its filters cleared of blades of grass that got snagged along the way.
In some areas, it was as though the train served as a “lawn mower” as it ran past tall, dense patches of grass on both sides of the track, Sison said.
Still under repair
Aside from the problems with the railway, only one of the two trains that were supposed to start commercial runs on Wednesday made it in time for the soft launch, according to another PNR official.
Only the Manila-to-Naga train was ready that day because the other train that should go the opposite direction at 6:30 p.m. was still undergoing repairs on its window grills, said Constancio Toledano, manager of the southern rail line’s Area 3.
Toledano said the resumed Bicol Express service would offer introductory fares of P440 per passenger for reclining-seat coaches, P760 for four-passenger cabin coaches and P1,120 for single-passenger cabin coach.
The train includes a dining car, cabin coaches with cushioned beds for single or multiple passengers, and a coach with seats similar to that of buses. The air-conditioned coaches also have separate toilets for males and females.
Between the Tutuban and Naga stations, there are also stops in Blumentritt, España, Pasay City and Alabang in Metro Manila; Lucena City and Hundagwa in Quezon province; and Ragay and Sipocot in Camarines Sur province.
Toledano, who started working at the PNR in 1976, recalled that the name Bicol Express first became popular in the 1970s and ‘80s.
It then referred to PNR’s economy class train servicing the Legazpi City-Manila route via Naga City, he said.
The different trips even came with their own names: The Kalayaan Express referred to the train that left Naga at 6 p.m., while the Peñafrancia Express was the train that left at 7:30 p.m.
The 3:30 p.m. trip from Legazpi City was called the Mayon Limited, he added.
Lost ‘Prestige’
There was also the the Bicol Night Express that left Legazpi City at 9 p.m., and also the Prestige Train that only consisted of four coaches and could make it to Naga City from Tutuban in just six hours.
Toledano said the Prestige was considered the fastest PNR train at the time but it was decommissioned in 1984 for lack of maintenance.
The official said the PNR, despite the revival of the Bicol Express, had yet to contend with problems posed by illegal settlers virtually choking the railway lines.
He said the company was ready to extend financial help to residents willing to relocate outside PNR property, but that it would still need the help of local governments on the matter.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/20171/grass-derails-bicol-express-%E2%...
Jul 2, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Amherst demands answers: Second derailment has officials alarmed
Friday, July 1, 2011
Select Board Chairwoman Stephanie O’Keeffe said she is alarmed by the pair of derailments that have occurred recently near the Station Road crossing and questioned why the railroad should be allowed to resume running while investigations are under way.
"Why should we trust them that this isn't going to happen again?" she asked Town Manager John Musante at the board's meeting Monday.
After the second train derailment in a month took place in the same part of South Amherst on Saturday, Musante called for the general manager of the New England Central Railroad to come to town to explain. Steven Coomes, who is based in St. Albans, Vt., met with him and Amherst's public safety and public works officials here Monday. While investigators had not yet pinpointed a cause, Coomes told the Bulletin he is convinced the accidents are unrelated.
"We feel very confident that these are separate incidents," he said.
Crews have been working on the tracks where the derailments took place, and freight and passenger trains were expected to return to near-normal by the end of this week, Musante said.
Saturday's derailment, which occurred near the Station Road Crossing, and the one on May 31 took place only 2,200 feet from each other. Musante said the close proximity of the accidents "begs the question" about the condition of the track. But he said a "fairly intensive investigation" is being conducted by the railroad and the Federal Railroad Administration.
When the track reopens, the trains will travel over it at only 10 miles per hour instead of the usual 20 to make sure it is working properly, Musante said.
O'Keeffe speculated that perhaps the tracks are being allowed to deteriorate because there are plans to upgrade the tracks on the west side of the Connecticut River for passenger train service. Musante said that freight trains will continue to use the tracks that pass through Amherst even if the Amtrak stop moves to Northampton.
Passengers on Amtrak's Vermonter train were bused from Springfield to St. Albans this week because of the latest derailment. Spokesman Cliff Cole said passenger service through Amherst is expected to resume on Friday.
Saturday's incident took place in an area visible from the Norwottuck Rail Trail and close to wetlands which have been expanding in recent years because of beaver activity there. Guilford Mooring, the superintendent of public works, said that this activity, combined with above-normal rainfall recently, could have played a role in destabilizing the railbed.
The area is also close to an underground water source that feeds into wells that supply some of Amherst's drinking water. Although neither derailment resulted in the spill of hazardous substances, some neighbors expressed concern over the potential danger.
Michael Krasnik of Tanglewood Drive said he walked on the tracks after Saturday's derailment and noticed that many of the ties are rotting. Some of the train cars that didn't derail appeared to be carrying liquid carbon dioxide, he said.
"The town has to take a more proactive role," he said. "It's not the town's responsibility but considering that it's so close to the water supply, the town should take some measures instead of waiting for the railroad to fix it."
Musante said he told Coomes that this section of track is "particularly sensitive." He said of Krasnik's comments, "We share that concern. That's why we convened the meeting."
Saturday's derailment occurred farther away from the underground water supply than the one May 31, said Mooring.
If a train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed there and they spilled into the ground, there are steps that officials could take to minimize the damage and protect public health, he said. A chemical spill near a surface water supply such as the Atkins Reservoir would be more dangerous, Mooring said.
Musante said that Coomes was "very responsive" to the town's concerns at Monday's meeting.
"It was helpful to hear about the series of steps they're taking to repair the track and test the condition of the remaining railbed to make sure it doesn't happen again," he said.
Jul 2, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
UPDATE: A total of 18 CSX train cars derailed about five miles south of Henderson off of Anthoston-Frog Island Road Tuesday afternoon, spilling loads of grain, sources said.
CSX spokesman Bob Sullivan said the train had three locomotives and 81 freight cars. He said it was traveling from Effingham, Ill., to Waycross, Ga., when the derailment occurred around 3:51 p.m.
Robbie Williams, who farms that land for his cousin, Steve Reed, said he and fellow farmer Scott Keach flew up in an airplane above the derailment once they heard about the spill.
“We wanted to see how bad a mess we had,” Williams said.
The derailment is about a half-mile into farm land north of Anthoston-Frog Island Road.
CSX is handling the clean-up of the spill, the cause of which is under investigation.
David Denton, Robards Fire Chief, was out at the scene to make sure there were no hazardous materials on board the train.
He said the derailment is out in a rural area, and no homes or roads are affected by the spill.
“CSX was on the scene when I got there,” he said. “There will be a lot more of them tonight.”
PREVIOUS:
An estimated 22 CSX train cars derailed about five miles south of Henderson off of Anthoston-Frog Island Road Tuesday afternoon, spilling loads of soybeans, an eyewitness said.
Robbie Williams, who farms that land for his cousin, Steve Reed, said he and fellow farmer Scott Keach flew up in an airplane above the derailment once they heard about the spill.
“We wanted to see how bad a mess we had,” Williams said.
The derailment is about a half-mile into farm land north of Anthoston-Frog Island Road.
Henderson County Dispatch said CSX is handling the clean-up of the spill, which was reported around 3:51 p.m.
David Denton, Robards Fire Chief, was out at the scene to make sure there were no hazardous materials on board the train.
He said roughly 17-20 cars derailed, and they all had soybeans on them. He said the derailment is out in a rural area, and no homes or roads are affected by the spill.
“CSX was on the scene when I got there,” he said. “There will be a lot more of them tonight.”
CSX was not available for comment after hours.
No other information was immediately available.
Jul 6, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Train derails in Shelby County
Posted: Jul 06, 2011SHELBY COUNTY - State police and Shelby County emergency personnel are investigating a train derailment just west of Morristown.
It happened late Wednesday afternoon on tracks which are situated parallel to US 52.
Bob Sullivan, a CSX Railroad spokesman, said the train was traveling from Cincinnati to Indianapolis. The train had two locomotives and 94 freight cars.
Preliminary reports say that 9 cars have derailed, and 5 of them are in the Big Blue River, according to Sullivan. It appears the train bridge over the river has collapsed.
There are no injury reports. Sullivan said CSX has crews en route to the scene to recover the train and to work with local officials to assess any environmental impact.
The train's engineer told Eyewitness News that, as he approached the bridge, he noticed one of the rails on the bridge was bent. He said he applied brakes, and most of the locomotive made it over the bridge without derailment. However, some of the wheels of the locomotive left the track.
Earlier story:
SHELBY COUNTY - Crews are at the scene of a train derailment near Morristown. Reports indicate several train cars are derailed, and a bridge was damaged. No injuries have been reported.
The track is a CSX line and Morristown Police Department and Indiana State Police are on the scene.
Eyewitness News has a crew headed to the scene. Pictures will be added to this story as soon as they are available.
http://www.wthr.com/story/15037103/train-derails-in-shelby-county
Jul 7, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Update: Train line reopens at site of two-train collision this afternoon in DeWitt
Published: Wednesday, July 06, 2011, 5:12 PM Updated: Wednesday, July 06, 2011, 7:38 PM
Update: One track of the train line from Albany to Buffalo reopened this afternoon following a two-train collision in DeWitt, a CSX train company spokesman said.
The track where the collision occurred is expected to reopen Thursday morning.
The heavily-traveled route carries Amtrak passenger trains as well as freight. -- 5 p.m.
DeWitt, NY -- Two CSX train workers jumped out of a moving locomotive moments before it plowed into the rear of another train in DeWitt, a witness said.
The two CSX workers were battered and bruised, but did not appear to suffer serious injuries, the witness said. A CSX spokesman confirmed two were taken to area hospitals.
One train apparently crashed into the rear of another train, causing eight to 10 train cars to derail, witnesses said. A train car carrying two modular containers ended up partially on top of the locomotive, sticking up into the air. The smell of diesel fuel wafted in the breeze.
The impact shook businesses along Court Street Road. Several witnesses said it felt like an earthquake.
Herb Goulet was working behind the counter at Barnes & Cone Architectural Masonry when the trains crashed.
Workers at the industrial facility are used to loud noises, but this was something else all together, Goulet said.
A dispatcher saw the crash on a security camera and yelled, "Get out! A train's coming off the tracks," Goulet said.
He evacuated with six custormers and all 35 Barnes & Cone workers took a roll call across the street. None of them were missing.
Goulet went to the tracks behind the business and saw two men -- the CSX employees -- running down the track.
Goulet and other employees offered the men aid until an ambulance arrived, he said. The men were calling CSX on cell phones to tell train dispatchers to close the tracks.
Jul 7, 2011