Spain Experiences its Worst Train Accident in 40 Years An increase in train derailments was one of the first symptoms of the approach of Planet X to become noticeable, being expressed even before Planet X entered the inner solar system in 2003. 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Some Examples (click on pictures for link): |
Starr DiGiacomo
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/goods-derails-near-mancheswar/222294-60-...
Goods derails near Mancheswar
January 19, 2012
BHUBANESWAR: Train services were affected after a goods train derailed near Mancheswar railway station on Wednesday. Since the wagons of the goods train fell� both on up and down lines, the movement of passenger trains was affected.
�East Coast Railway sources said the cement-laden goods train was heading towards the unloading point through the loop line when it went off the tracks at about 8.45 am.
The derailed wagons fell on both the lines due to its positioning.
�This caused disruption in traffic and some long-distance trains had to be controlled. Falaknuma Express and Yeshwantpur-Howrah Duronto Express were controlled at different points whereas Rajdhani Express left Bhubaneswar on time.
�The ECoR cleared one line by 11 am while the second line was cleared by 2 pm.
No one was injured in the incident.
Jan 19, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/train-derails-in-decatur
Train derails in Decatur
Updated: Thursday, 19 Jan 2012, 1:31 PM EST
Published : Thursday, 19 Jan 2012, 1:31 PM EST
DECATUR, Ind. (WANE) – A train derailment has closed a Decatur street Thursday afternoon.
According to Decatur police, the train derailed near the Bunge soy bean processing plant.
Bunge officials said around noon the engine was going over a switch and the switch broke and caused the front wheels of the engine to go off the tracks. Crews were able to push the engine back onto the tracks.
Second Street is expected to be closed for two to three more hours while repairs are made.
A switch is the mechanism used to switch trains from one track to another.
Jan 19, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.huliq.com/10304/metra-train-derailment-leaves-chicago-mo...
Metra train derailment leaves Chicago morning commuters stranded in the cold
On the coldest day yet so far this winter, a train derailment on Chicago’s commuter rail line known as Metra left dozens of commuters stranded in the cold.
The incident took place Friday morning as the city of Chicago prepared for an onslaught of snow and cold that is likely to leave the city buried beneath as much as 8 inches of snow before it’s gone. The incident took place on the rail line’s Union Pacific North line. It caused canceled trains and delayed things by as much as an hour for frustrated and freezing commuters.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the train had been set to go into service for the morning commute when the front two wheels of the engine went off the tracks. This completely snarled things along the busy rail line. The delays caused because of the derailment and Metra’s frantic attempts to get the line cleared created a chain reaction that had commuters still frustrated, running late and stranded by as late as 11 a.m.
The temperatures along the rail lines this morning were running as low as five degrees below zero in some places. In some areas, the wind chills were down to as much as 10 degrees below zero. At many Metra stations, there is little in the way of shelter for commuters, who must stand beside the railroad tracks to await their trains.
So far there has been no word from Metra when they think normal times and conditions will be restored. Now that it is past the lunch hour, snow has started to fall across the Chicago metropolitan area, in some areas very heavy. Weather forecasters are predicting that this could be one of the biggest snow storms of the season so far. The storm is part of the same storm that dumped inches of snow in Seattle and across Colorado days ago. The heaviest snows are predicted to hit the area just in time for the evening rush, which means drivers and rail commuters could be in for a rough evening.
A winter weather warning has been issued for the Chicago area that started at 9 a.m, this morning and extends until Saturday morning. The snow fall is expected to be heavy and constant throughout the day on Friday and overnight. Some areas may get only a couple of inches, but residents near the Wisconsin-Illinois border may get up to eight inches total before the storm continues to move east.
Chicago had an abnormally mild winter throughout November and December. It was the first non-white Christmas in the past several years for the area. Now, within the space of two weeks, two large snow storms have hit the area and earlier this week the Chicago area was hit by sleet, freezing rain and then snow. This has been coupled with extremely cold temperatures with wind chills reaching well below zero.
Jan 21, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://edmonton.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120120/edm_train_...
Train derails southeast of the city
View larger image
A train derailed southeast of the city early Friday near the hamlet of Hay Lakes. Courtesy: C. Downey.
Updated: Fri Jan. 20 2012 13:32:50
A train derailed southeast of the city early Friday near the hamlet of Hay Lakes.
No one was injured after the northbound train derailed around 8 a.m.
A spokesperson for CN Rail says 20 cars in total went off the tracks, which were carrying a variety of items that included plastic pellets, and general merchandise.
Some of the cars were empty as well.
Crews are still on the scene. It's not known what caused the derailment.
Jan 21, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2012/01/20/edmonton-cn...
18 train cars derail south of Edmonton
Posted: Jan 20, 2012 5:44 PM MT
Last Updated: Jan 20, 2012 5:55 PM MT
Jan 21, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://hamptonroads.com/2012/01/no-one-injured-hrt-train-derailment
Tide light-rail train derails in downtown Norfolk; no one hurt
Six passengers were on board when the train derailed around 5:45 p.m., according to HRT CEO Philip Shucet.
© January 21, 2012
Norfolk's Tide is running again after a light-rail train traveling westbound at low speed derailed between Colley Avenue and Second Street on Friday evening.
Hampton Roads Transit's CEO Philip Shucet said six passengers were on board when the train derailed on Brambleton Avenue around 5:45 p.m.
There were no injuries, and Shucet said the train derailed going through a switch in tracks.
The train had been returned to the tracks and service resumed this morning, HRT spokesman Tom Holden said in a press release.
HRT officials provided buses to transport passengers between the Harbor Park and Eastern Virginia Medical Center/Fort Norfolk stations. Shucet said he's expecting the train to have full service by today.
Earlier Friday, light-rail service was temporarily interrupted between the Newtown and Ballentine stations.
Repairs were made and power was restored.
Pat Miskill lives in an apartment building across the street from where the Brambleton derailment took place. He said he was eating dinner with his wife about the time the derailment occurred.
He said he and his wife have ridden the HRT trains before.
"This is just an unfortunate incident," Miskill said. "I guess these things happen; we don't want them to, but they do."
Jan 21, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Wainwright+train+derailment+thi...
Wainwright train derailment is third rail incident in past week
EDMONTON - A CN train derailed near Wainwright Saturday, the third rail incident in Alberta this week.
A train travelling from Winnipeg to Edmonton derailed west of Wainwright, near the hamlet of Fabyan, around 4:15 p.m. Saturday, said CN spokeswoman Julie Senécal. Of the 31 cars loaded with grain, 17 fell from a trestle into the valley below.
CN crews are working to repair damage to the bridge, said Senécal said.
On Friday, a northbound train hauling 18 cars derailed just outside of Hay Lakes around 8 a.m.
There were no injuries and no environmental impact from either incident, Senécal said. Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the trains to derail.
“Every relevant factor is evaluated,” Senécal said.
Last Tuesday, a freight train with nearly a dozen coal cars collided with another, stationary train 55 kilometres north of Hinton.
Three of the company’s employees were involved in the collision. One was taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital and released that day.
Jan 22, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/story/2012/01/22/edmonton-tr...
Train derails on bridge southeast of Edmonton
Second derailment in area since Friday
A train went off the rails Saturday near Wainwright, Alta., roughly 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.
The train derailed roughly halfway across a bridge over a valley on its way from Winnipeg to Edmonton at around 4:15 p.m. MT.
In total, 31 cars fell off the tracks — 17 of them went off the bridge and into the valley below. All them were grain cars.
The steel bridge was also damaged, so trains are being rerouted in the area.
Canadian National (CN) Railway Co. spokeswoman Julie Senecal said there were no injuries or environmental concerns.
When asked if the second derailment is similar to one that happened on Friday, Senecal said they can’t comment as both are still under investigation to determine the cause.
Senecal said they don't have any resource problems trying to clean up two accidents at once.
Jan 23, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_19812672
Train derailment in harbor area prompts alert
TERMINAL ISLAND -- Los Angeles and Long Beach Fire Department crews were called to a rail yard in the Harbor area late Tuesday after two train cars derailed, dumping what was initially feared to be contaminated soil.
Fire crews from both agencies were called to the yard near the 2400 block of East Sepulveda Boulevard, which straddles Long Beach and Wilmington, at about 4:30 p.m. regarding a possible contaminated soil spill, said Long Beach Firefighter Matthew Dobberpuhl.
"The rail yard called us back and told us we didn't need to come out," Dobberpuhl said.
Nonetheless, crews were dispatched to investigate and found two rail cars had rolled onto their sides and spilled soil, which was found to be non-hazardous, Dobberpuhl said.
There were no injuries, the LBFD spokesman said.
Jan 25, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
12 train cars derail, close highway in Rogers County
ROGERS COUNTY, Okla. - A series of train cars that derailed overnight in Inola shut down State Highway 88 Tuesday.
Union Pacific says 12 cars carrying a mixed load of coal, scrap metal and flour derailed around midnight just south of 412.
The rail company brought in equipment from Tulsa and Kansas to clear the area.
Rogers County sheriff's deputies said the derailment did not affect homes or businesses in the area.
The track speed is 49 miles-per-hour. Investigators are working to determine if speed was a factor in the accident.
Only two people were on board at the time of the accident. Neither were injured.
Highway 88 was shut down for most of the morning. As of around 10:30 a.m., crews reopened one lane of the highway. Flagmen and highway patrol are directing traffic. Drivers are urged to use caution and expect delays.
Read more: http://www.kjrh.com/dpp/news/state/12-train-cars-derail-close-highw...
Jan 25, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.meridianbooster.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3451780CN baffled by derailment
CN baffled by derailment
Canadian National Railway is trying to figure out what caused a train to derail near Wainwright Saturday afternoon, the third in one week.
A train heading to Edmonton from Winnipeg around 4:15 pm. Saturday derailed as it crossed a bridge over a valley located about 32 km west of Wainwright.
It sent 17 of the 31 cars – carrying loads of grain – falling to the valley below, said CN spokeswoman Julie Senécal.
There were no reported injuries or environmental issues, she added, but crews are working to repair damage to the bridge.
Trains are now being rerouted to minimize delay to customer shipments.
Senécal said investigators remained at the site Sunday, working to determine what caused the train to go off track. There’s no word on when the line will reopen.
Around 8 a.m. Friday, a train hauling plastic pellets and other general merchandise went off the track near Hay Lakes.
Investigators are still working to determine the cause of that accident.
Two days earlier, freight cars loaded with coal collided with a stationary train around noon on the main line between Hinton and Grande Cache.
One crew member was taken to hospital, but was released the next day, said Senécal. CN officials and the Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
“Accidents by nature are unpredictable. I can tell you it’s not common or uncommon, there are no common denominators,” said Senécal.
“One accident is too many, and every relevant factor is evaluated. We’re very serious about investigations. The last thing we want is for someone to get hurt.”
Jan 28, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/16412-derailment-in-badulla.html
Derailment in Badulla
The “Podimenike” express train from Colombo derailed at the Badulla railway station this evening when it was moving to the yard after de-training passengers. The train ground to a halt obstructing the level crossing on the Badulla–Mudunpita road.
Traffic on the road came to a standstill for hours. Railway officials are taking steps to re-rail the train. A senior official of the Railway Control Room said the train service from Badulla to Colombo was subject to delay. (Prasad Rukmal)
Jan 30, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-16867053
Engine derails on West Coast main line at Bletchley
A freight train engine has derailed on the West Coast main line at Bletchley leaving no services running between London Euston and Milton Keynes.
There are major delays for rail passengers with London Midland, Southern and Virgin rail services all affected.
London Midland has advised passengers not to travel as all lines are blocked.
However, tickets are being accepted on Chiltern, East Midlands and First Capital Connect services.
Network Rail hopes that two of the four lines will be cleared by "early" afternoon.
Driver injured
The Freightliner engine, being operated on behalf of Virgin trains, derailed at Bletchley south junction shortly before 02:30 GMT.
The driver was the only person on board and is being treated for injuries.
The engine was not pulling any freight or carriages.
The engine is upright but blocking the line, and damage to the running tracks and overhead power lines has been reported.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is conducting an investigation.
Robin Gisby, from Network Rail, said that although they hoped to clear two of the lines later, services would still be affected.
"It is likely that severe disruption will continue for the remainder of the day as we work to repair the more significant damage," he said.
"Unfortunately there is quite substantial damage to the tracks and overhead lines."
Engine 'on loan'
Southern services are only running between Croydon and Watford Junction, Virgin and London Midland services are not running south of Milton Keynes, but London Midland is running between Bletchley and Bedford.
Nicola Moss, from London Midland, said: "We do strongly advise passengers not to travel if at all possible.
"But anybody who can get to Bedford for First Capital Connect services or over to Wellingborough for East Midlands Trains services or west to Aylesbury for Chiltern Railway Services, can use our tickets on those trains.
"Network Rail and the freight company are working really hard to get the line clear but that is unlikely to be before lunch time."
A spokesperson from Virgin Trains said the engine was on loan to the company in order to haul some of its older trains.
Passengers are being advised to consult National Rail Enquiries if they intend to travel.
Feb 3, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/NAT-TOP-passenger-train-derails-ne...
Guwahati: Three persons were killed and over 50 injured when a passenger train derailed after hitting an earth-cutting vehicle at an unmanned railway crossing in Assam's Kamrup (Rural) district today.
The driver of the earth-cutting vehicle and two other persons were killed when their vehicle stranded at the level crossing at Gossainghati between Azara and Mirza was hit by the Bongaigaon-Guwahati Chilarai Passenger passenger train at 9:30 AM, railway sources said.
The collision derailed the engine and five bogies of the passenger train leaving 50 passengers injured, the sources said.
The injured passengers were rushed by local people to the Mirza Public Health Centre from where the critically injured were referred to the Gauhati Medical College Hospital and MMC Civil Hospital in Guwahati, police sources said.
Two of the dead on the earth cutting vehicle were identified as Bipul Rabha and Saloi.
The wheels of some of the derailed coaches broke and a portion of the railway tracks was damaged in the accident, the sources added.
Personnel of the Disaster Management Authority swung into action for rescue and relief operations with railway rescue vans and high officials rushing to the spot.
This is the third train accident to have taken place this year. Earlier, two people died in train collision in West Bengal on January 7. Anothe
Feb 3, 2012
Sandor Daranyi
Feb 3, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2012/02/04/misery-goes-on-for-tr...
Misery goes on for train travellers after derailment
Saturday 4th February 2012, 10:59AM GMT.
Rail passengers were continuing to face delays today after a freight train derailment on the main line to London.
The West Coast Main Line was partially re-opened yesterday afternoon after being closed for more than 12 hours when the freight engine derailed at Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire. Train firms affected included Virgin Trains, London Midland and Southern trains.
Two out of the four lines were re-opened at about 3.40pm yesterday with two Virgin trains running each hour between London and Manchester Piccadilly.
There were two trains per hour between London Euston and Birmingham and Wolverhampton.
A spokesman for Network Rail said the Freightliner locomotive appeared to have approached a set of points at high speed and derailed as a result. It is not yet known when repairs to the line will be completed and travellers have been warned to expect disruption into tomorrow.
Feb 4, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/059a083863f3409a8cd2edd3ae1ef...
No injuries as 19 cars of freight train derail along Mississippi River in Red Wing in SE Minn.
Feb 5, 2012
RED WING, Minn. — Nineteen cars left the track when a Canadian Pacific freight train derailed along the Mississippi River in Red Wing in southeastern Minnesota.
Police say the freight train was heading north around 9:40 a.m. Sunday when the cars derailed. KARE-TV reports (http://kare11.tv/wtl4P7) all the train cars were empty and no one was injured.
A Canadian Pacific spokesperson told the station it's too early to determine the cause of the derailment. The company will investigate.
Feb 5, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/region-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=02&...
Belgrade-Istanbul train derails; no casualties
Source: Tanjug
BULGARIA -- A passenger train traveling on the Belgrade-Instanbul line derailed early on Monday in southern Bulgaria, when the engine hit a landslide.
There are no reports of any injuries among the passengers or crew.
The governor of the Bulgarian region where the accident happened at 02:20 CET told the media that the passengers - among them "12 foreigners" - refused to be taken to a nearby settlement. The train's heating system is working, it has been reported.
The BTA news agency said that a crane "should arrive soon and put the train back on the tracks".
Bulgaria is suffering from bad weather coditions, with flooding near the border with Greece that claimed three lives, and heavy snowfall elsewhere. A border crossings between that country and Romania that was closed on Sunday is now again open, said the authorities.
Feb 6, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
Video captures Santiago subway derailment
Feb. 8 - No injuries were reported after a subway train in Santiago derails and crashes into an apartment building. Rough Cut (no reporter narration)
http://www.reuters.com/video/2012/02/08/video-captures-santiago-sub...
Feb 8, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.theage.com.au/photogallery/world/subway-train-crashes-in...
link to photos of Santiago train derailment and crash
Feb 9, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Ten-bogies-of-passenger-tr...
Ten bogies of passenger train derails, 5 injured
PTI | Feb 14, 2012, 12.13AM ISTThe derailment took place shortly after Durg-Puri intercity express left Lakhna station in Odisha's Nuapara district at around 9pm.
Ten bogies of the train jumped the tracks, injuring five passengers, East Coast Central Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer R N Mahapatra said here.
A medical team from Raipur and two relief contingents from Sambalpur and Kantabanjhi were sent to the accident spot.
Feb 13, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20120217p2a00m0na008000c.html
JR Freight train derails, crashes into shelter after failing to stop at red light
ABIRA, Hokkaido -- A Japan Freight Railway Co. (JR Freight) train derailed and crashed into the wall of a snow shelter here after failing to stop at a red light on Feb. 16.
The crash happened at JR Higashi-Oiwake Station. Despite the red stop signal, the train continued and entered a short side track, continuing past the end over a gravel pile and hitting the wall. The engine derailed, followed by four of the 15 freight cars behind it. There were no injuries reported.
According to JR Freight and other sources, the train was signaled to stop as the schedule was off and a JR Hokkaido super-express train was coming from the opposite direction. The driver has said he tried to slow down at a yellow signal two kilometers before the station, but the train, which was moving at 95 kilometers per hour, did not respond. He says he applied the emergency brake but the train did not stop in time. JR Freight is investigating the possibility that the cold or snow reduced the brakes' effectiveness.
The Japan Transport Safety Board sent investigators to scene on Feb. 17. The Hokkaido Prefectural Police will investigate the incident as a possible case of professional negligence resulting in danger to train traffic, and intend to question the driver and others.
JR Hokkaido stopped over 40 trains due to the crash.
Feb 17, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.timesnews.net/article/9042561/train-derailment-forces-au...
Train derailment forces authorities to block roads in Bulls Gap
BULLS GAP — A Norfolk Southern train derailment Sunday afternoon in downtown Bulls Gap forced authorities to block roads, cutting off a section of town adjacent to the Hamblen County line so the railroad could bring in a crane and other removal equipment.
Around 12:30 p.m. Sunday two westbound engines and two empty coal cars came off the tracks at Main Street near the Sycamore Drive intersection, tearing up major chunk of asphalt, but no injuries were reported.
Hawkins County emergency Management Agency director Gary Murrell told the Times-News that as of 4:30 p.m. an approximately three square mile section of Bulls Gap south and west of the railroad tracks was isolated from the rest of the county due to roads being blocked. Hamblen county police, fire and ambulance services were covering the cut off section of Bulls Gap until the derailed train can be removed.
Murrell said Norfolk Southern officials told him removal equipment was coming in from Middlesboro, Ky., and would arrive around 7 p.m.
Coincidentally, the train derailment occurred a stone’s throw from the Bulls Gap Railroad Museum at 139 S. Main St.
Feb 20, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Derailment-hits-Cent...
Derailment hits Central Railway services
Somit Sen, TNN | Feb 22, 2012, 02.07AM ISTMUMBAI: Central Railway (CR) services were affected early on Tuesday morning as a ballast wagon derailed at Vangani near Karjat.
Long-distance trains like the Mumbai-Pune Indrayani Express, Nizamuddin-Pune Express, Ahmedabad-Pune train, Mahalaxmi Express among others were delayed by nearly an hour, sources said. The incident occurred around 5.45am.
"Two wheels of the wagon derailed and it took us close to 45 minutes to set it back on tracks," said a railway official.
There was a huge rush of passengers at Kalyan station as trains heading to Karjat were affectedon the Down line was stopped completely till the wagon was brought back on the track. It also affected trains coming from Karjat and moving in the Up direction.
Among the long distance trains which were badly hit were the Nizamuddin-Pune Express via Vasai, Ahmedabad-Pune train, Indrayani (Mumbai-Pune) Express and Intercity (Mumbai-Pune) in the Down direction, and Mahalaxmi Express, Latur-CST train and Sinhagad Express in the Up direction.
CR's senior public relations officer L M Maraskolhe said the suburban train services were not affected. However, commuters who wanted to reach Ambernath, Badlapur and Karjat early morning were stranded at Kalyan station, moreover, officegoers, who had set out for work in the wee hours, had a harrowing time, said a passenger from Ambernath. Passengers claimed the incident affected the services for the next two to three hours.
The CR administration has instituted an inquiry into the incident, and will find out if track conditions were responsible for the derailment. "The occurrence of a rail fracture is not uncommon due to change of season. We will find the reason for the derailment," said a senior official.
Some of the suburban trains plying between 5.30 am and 7 am were cancelled, sources said.
Another disruption was reported in the evening as an electrical multiple unit (EMU) train developed a snag near Ambernath station and had to be terminated.
Trains plying the Kalyan-Karjat route were affected for nearly an hour, sources said.
The incident comes exactly two months after a train had derailed near CST, leading to chaos major inconvenience to passengers during the morning peak hour rushOn December 21, rail traffic was disrupted on the suburban section after a Kalyan-bound train derailed near Masjid station. The train, which had started from the CST station, was approaching the Masjid station, when the sixth bogie (from the engine) derailed. No casualty was reported.
Feb 22, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8423764/sa-train-derails-at-ade...
Train derails at Adelaide station
A train full of passengers has derailed at Adelaide railway station due to a mechanical switch failure, and authorities say they can't guarantee it won't happen again.
No one was hurt in the incident, in which half a carriage went off the rails about 8.30am (CDT). The derailment was caused by a problem with the switch, a piece of rail that moves the train from one track to another, Public Transport Services executive director Peter Doggett said.
"Sometimes the switch doesn't lock in fully, and that's what we're investigating," Mr Doggett told journalists on Wednesday.
"That could be for a range of reasons - could be for a little rock in the switch."
The train began shaking and came to a stop before it reached the platform. All passengers and crew were transferred safely to the station.
Mr Doggett said the system had alerted the driver to the switch failure, but it had appeared fine when he looked at it.
After consulting the controller, the driver moved the train forward slowly, but half of one carriage left the rails.
Mr Doggett said the transport authority had a very good inspection regime and would do all it could to prevent another derailment, but could not guarantee it.
"We will have switch failures again. We're dealing with mechanical equipment, things do go wrong," he said.
Feb 22, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Train-derail...
Train derailment injures 340 in Buenos Aires: Official
AFP | Feb 22, 2012, 07.40PM ISTAround 340 people were injured, some of them seriously, Wednesday when a train derailed and struck a railway station platform in Buenos Aires, transport and health officials said.
Around a dozen ambulances were sent to the accident in the west of the Argentine capital to treat those hurt, said Alberto Crescenti, a senior city official.
Transportation Secretary Juan Pablo Schiavi gave the toll and said many of the passengers were badly injured, including some with multiple fractures and abrasions, adding that "there could be fatalities" among the casualties.
He added that there were an unknown number of commuters still trapped in the wreckage of the train.
"The train was full and the impact was tremendous," a passenger identified only as Ezequiel told local television, stating that medics at the scene were overwhelmed.
Local television pictures showed a trapped train driver and several people being carried away from the scene on stretchers.
The accident occurred just five months after another major transit incident rocked the Argentine capital, during a morning rush hour crash involving two trains and a bus.
That accident in September killed 11 people including the bus driver and injured more 200.
The region's transit system has been plagued with serious accidents in recent years.
In March 2008, 18 people were killed and 47 injured when a bus was hit by a train in Dolores, 212 kilometers (132 miles) south of Buenos Aires.
Argentina's deadliest train tragedy was in 1970, an accident that killed 200 people in northern Buenos Aires.
Feb 22, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.nwcn.com/home/?fId=140160553&fPath=/news/local&f...
Derailed locomotive spills 2,000 gallons of fuel near Magnolia
Credit: Gary Chittim / KING
Seattle Fire Department hazmat crew cleans up a diesel fuel near Pier 90.
by KING 5 News
NWCN.com
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 8:57 AM
Updated today at 10:15 AM
SEATTLE -- Seattle Fire Department hazmat crews are cleaning up about 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel that spilled when a locomotive derailed near the Magnolia neighborhood early Thursday.
The derailment happened in the 3600 block of Gilman Avenue West in the Interbay area.
Fire department spokesman Kyle Moore said no train cars were attached to the locomotive and no injuries were reported.
Moore said the fuel did not spill into the water, but it did leak into a drainage system that leads to Pier 91.
Feb 23, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
Not again! Train derails just north of downtown
http://www.kens5.com/news/Not-again--trail-derails-just-north-of-do...
Posted on February 23, 2012 at 4:21 PM
SAN ANTONIO - An early morning train derailment just north of downtown has neighbors saying, 'Not again!'
Around 3:30 a.m. Thursday seven train cars on a southbound train heading to Mexico derailed near W Hollywood Ave. and N. Flores just north of downtown.
The cars were empty, and no one was injured.
However, neighbors said it could have been deadly.
"One of those cars could have gone sliding right into the side of the house," said Thomas Smith.
That's what happened less than six years ago at nearly the same spot.
In 2006, 18 train cars jumped the tracks and hit two homes.
No one was killed in that derailment, and Union Pacific determined it was caused by an engineer incorrectly applying the brakes.
Union Pacific spokesperson Raquel Espinoza-Williams said the cause of this latest derailment is unknown.
“At this point, it is too early to determine what may have caused this accident, but we have opened an investigation," she said.
Espinoza-Williams said the investigation could take days, but added that the tracks were just inspected on Tuesday.
"That's funny,” said Smith. “If they inspected it, how did it happen?"
Having seen derailments in their neighborhood before, Smith and other neighbors said they are skeptical of Union Pacific’s explanation and worry it will happen again.
"It is going to take a life one day,” said J.J. Tapia, who lives within a hundred feet of the tracks. “I don't care about the train. The train can be fixed, but a life you can never take back
Feb 24, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017582031_oilspill...
Train derails, oil spill contained
Some 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel spilled Thursday morning after a locomotive derailed and its fuel tank ruptured.
Seattle Times staff reporter
GREG GILBERT / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Interbay train workers inspect a switcher that earlier had tipped over, causing a fuel spill.
Three thousand or so gallons of spilled diesel fuel provided a scare Thursday morning, but the fuel was mostly contained in a railside ditch, officials said.
The spill occurred at about 7:50 a.m. after a locomotive traveling at less than 5 mph derailed in the Interbay train yard, BNSF Railway spokesman Gus Melonas said. The derailed train's fuel tank struck a section of rail and ruptured.
While most of the diesel was contained in a nearby ditch, some did make it into storm drains and entered the West Point Treatment Plant, said Larry Altose, a spokesman for the state Department of Ecology.
There were concerns early in the day that the fuel might reach Elliott Bay.
But plant operators, notified of the situation, separated and contained the oil, Altose said. The plant's normal operations were not impacted.
Meanwhile, the train was re-railed by 11 a.m., Melonas said.
No one was injured in the incident, he said. Investigators did not yet know the cause of the derailment Thursday evening.
Department of Ecology officials were evaluating the effect of the spill and determining whether further cleanup in the ditch would be necessary, Altose said.
There is minimal risk to the public, he said.
Feb 24, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
Chaos as train derails
Published on Sunday 26 February 2012 11:26
Rail services between Preston and Crewe have been badly affected by a train derailment.
The engineeering train derailed at Winsford overnight blocking the main line between Liverpool and Crewe and Warrington and Crewe.
The closure has badly affected thousands of Liverpool supporters bound for the carling Cup final at Wembley.
Issuing an apology, Virgin Trains recommended those travelling to London consider driving to Crewe, Stafford or Stoke stations and taking the train from there.
A Virgin spokesman said: “Due to the derailment of an engineering train at Winsford overnight, the line between Liverpool and Crewe and Warrington and Crewe is blocked.
“Due to the high number of passengers intending to travel from Liverpool/Runcorn to London for the football at Wembley it is recommended that if possible they consider driving to Crewe, Stafford or Stoke stations and use the rail services from there.
“Coaches will also be provided to connect Liverpool and Crewe and Runcorn and Stafford.
“Virgin Trains apologises for the disruption and is doing everything it can to minimise the major disruption caused by the derailment.”
The Preston to Crewe route is also affected.
Passengers travelling between Liverpool Lime Street and Crewe towards London Euston have been advised to travel via Chester or Manchester Piccadilly, while those heading to the capital from Runcorn have been told to take a replacement bus service to Crewe.
Commuters travelling from Wigan North Western or Warrington Bank Quay have also been advised to travel to London via Manchester Piccadilly.
Affected passengers may use Merseyrail services between Liverpool and Chester, First TransPennine Express and Northern Rail services between Liverpool and Manchester, Arriva Trains Wales services between Chester and Crewe and CrossCountry and East Midlands Trains on any reasonable route
Feb 26, 2012
Howard
Ontario Train Derailment Kills Three, 45 Injured
Feb 27, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
UPDATE: Heavy equipment arrives for derailed train in Minnesota
Updated: Feb 28, 2012 10:10 AM AST
Featured Videos
Train derailed in Jackson County, Minnesota
Heavy equipment arrived to clean up a big train derailment in Minnesota.
The accident happened in Jackson County, Minnesota near the town of Brewster around 8:00 Monday night.
Officials with Union Pacific Railroad tell us 23 cars were derailed Monday night. They say the train was from St. Paul and was heading to North Platte, Nebraska. Officials say there weren't any chemicals on board but some diesel fuel did leak from one of the refrigerated cars.
Union Pacific Railroad Spokesman Mark Davis said the heavy equipment will help replace about one thousand feet of railroad tracks. He also said heavy snow could slow down the process because crews are extra cautious during inclement weather.
Witnesses who called the newsroom Monday night said the accident was about 5 miles north of Worthington on Highway 60. Witnesses also said there was a large amount of grain spilled in the area of the accident. Officials say no one was hurt in this accident but clean up will probably take at least a day. The cause of the derailment is under investigation
Feb 28, 2012
KM
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17248735
Southern Poland train crash leaves 14 dead
Two trains have collided in southern Poland, leaving 14 people dead, local officials say, and 50 hurt.
The accident occurred on Saturday evening on the Warsaw-Krakow mainline at the small town of Szczekociny, according to Polish TV.
Two express trains, one of which was on the wrong track, collided head-on, a senior railway official said.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk arrived at the scene early on Sunday morning, with three other cabinet ministers.
"This appears to be one of the most serious railway accidents in recent years," Transport Minister Slawomir Nowak told the TVN24 news channel.
Some passengers remain trapped in the wreckage, police say. Helicopter ambulances from Warsaw and Wroclaw are helping to take the injured to hospitals.
"The rescue is difficult and complicated," firefighter Jaroslaw Wojtasik told Polish television.
"The damage to the wagons is huge. We have contact with victims. We are approaching very cautiously."
Engineering works
The accident occurred at 21:15 (20:15 GMT), when a train travelling north from Przemysl to Warsaw collided with a southbound train from Warsaw to Krakow.
Scheduled engineering works were taking place on one track at Szczekociny station at the time of the accident.
The Krakow train was on the wrong track, Andrzej Pawlowski, a member of the board of the state railway company PKP, told the TV station TVN24.
Three coaches are reported to be especially damaged, and the rescue operation is focusing on finding passengers there.
The three coaches were "completely destroyed - like a concertina", one eyewitness told the Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper.
Another passenger estimated that his train was travelling about 120km/h (75 mph), when it started braking very sharply.
"Then we felt a powerful impact, and we were thrown about the compartment," the passenger told TVN24.
Mar 4, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.leaderpost.com/news/Train+derails+near+Wolseley+Sask/624...
Train derails near Wolseley, Sask.
March 4, 2012
Canadian Pacific Railway is investigating a train derailment that occurred near the community of Wolseley Saturday evening.
According to information from the RCMP and CP, emergency crews — including Indian Head RCMP, Wolseley fire crews, Grenfell EMS and CP officials — were called to the scene of a train derailment involving an eastbound Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) train at about 7:45 p.m.
A CP spokesman said on Sunday that the train had been travelling east from Moose Jaw to Winnipeg on the main line when the incident occurred near the Wolseley grain elevator. While Kevin Hrysak said CP isn’t commenting on a potential cause pending the outcome of the investigation, RCMP had reported the train experienced problems with the brakes.
The resulting incident caused 11 cars to leave the tracks. There were no injuries to either of the two crew members on board or any members of the public, and no concerns about hazardous materials or any other environmental issues. Nine of the cars were carrying canola and wheat seed while the other two were empty.
The east access into Wolseley was blocked temporarily as a result but was reopened soon afterward. The incident hasn’t impacted vehicle travel since then and Hrysak said trains were able to be rerouted around the scene while cleanup occurred.
Hrysak said cleanup began Saturday night and was expected to take until sometime Sunday night. It was hoped the line would be reopened by late Sunday night.
He was uncertain as to how long the investigation would take.
Mar 4, 2012
Howard
Massive Train Derailment In Abbeville County (South Carolina)
The tanker carrying hazardous materials has been moved from the site of a massive train derailment in Abbeville. 28 cars derailed Thursday morning. Crews are working around the clock to remove the cars. By early afternoon Friday, only nine cars remained.
Officials tell 7 On Your Side the train car carrying methanol, a highly flammable chemical, has been moved from the crash site, and crews will be working Saturday to offload the methanol from the tanker.
No hazardous chemicals leaked during the de-railment. 50 people are still evacuated from their homes.
For the second night, the residents are staying in a hotel. Officials say CSX Railroad is paying for that hotel stay.
But it's unclear who will pay for response. CSX would not respond to our requests for that information. City, county and state officials are keeping track of expenses, and they will hand the bill over to CSX. Derrec Becker with the South Carolina Emergency Management Division says, “We have a private company involved, and they are responsible for a lot of the cost. But we're still having to foot the bill for a significant portion of this response operation.”
7 On Your Side pressed CSX to find out more about the cost of response and who will pay. The railroad company will only tell us they have no estimate and no cause of the derailment A spokesperson for the railroad company says it could take weeks to determine a cause.
Emergency officials say they do not know when the evacuated residents will be allowed to return home.
Updated: March 9, 2012, 3:30 p.m.
South Carolina Emergency Management and Abbeville leaders say 50 residents remain displaced Friday morning.
Workers will begin to offload the methanol out of the tanker this afternoon. That could take six hours.
We're told 18,000 gallons of propanediol was either offloaded from the leaking car or pumped out of the ditch where it leaked,
CSX is responsible for cost of clean-up. All government agencies tell 7 On Your Side they will hand the bill for response over to CSX. Four units from the State Transport Police have been requested to assist with response.
Posted: March 8, 2012
Crews are on the scene working around the clock to clean up a chemical spill following a Thursday morning train derailment in Abbeville.
Nearby homes were evacuated after more than two dozen CSX train cars derailed around 5 a.m. at Redd and Hagler Streets, near Long Branch Street.
The evacuation has since been lifted for most and residents have been allowed to return to their homes, but are asked to stay indoors until further notice. The only residents not allowed back in include Redd and McBride streets, and Shop Hill Drive.
They are being put up at a Greenwood hotel.
Abbeville Fire Chief Mason Speers tells 7 On Your Side one of the derailed cars is leaking propanediol, a chemical used to make antifreeze for recreational vehicles.
The cause of the derailment has not yet been released.
Mar 10, 2012
KM
Four cars leave tracks after train derails in southeast Calgary
Mar 21, 2012
Howard
FIVE significant train derailments in the past 3 days -
Train Derailment Near Spring Grove, Pennsylvania (March 30)
Train Derailment In Jessup, Maryland (March 30)
Train Carrying 265 Passengers Derails in North Kingstown, Rhode Island (March 29)
VIDEO
Train Derailment In Noble County, Indiana (March 29)
Train Derailment in Vernon, British Columbia (March 28)
Mar 30, 2012
astrogal50
Major unexplained, head-on train crash in The Netherlands. Remember when train crashes were rare and generally explained? Yes, that was before Planet X arrived in the inner solar system.
Trains crash head-on in Amsterdam; nearly 125 reported injured
Evert Elzinga / EPA
Rescue workers evacuate injured passengers at the scene of a train collision near Amsterdam on Saturday.
AMSTERDAM -- Almost 125 people were injured, many seriously, when two Dutch commuter trains crashed head-on in Amsterdam on Saturday [April 21, 2012], police said.
There were no immediate reports of fatalities, but of those injured, 13 suffered major injuries while 43 or 44 were badly injured, a spokesman said. About 70 suffered minor injuries.
A trauma helicopter was used to bring the injured to hospital, a spokesman for railways group NS said.
The trains did not serve Schiphol international airport, the NS spokesman added, but the accident disrupted airport train service.
Some people were lifted from the wreckage by cranes while others were led away from the crash site in protective wraps to dozens of waiting ambulances, while police cars and fire trucks stood by.
Apr 22, 2012
Lynne Warbrooke
Not a crash as such but certainly could have caused one. More to this than meets the eye I suspect.
Tube fears: London underground tunnel 'collapses' on Bakerloo line
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/london-underground-tunnel-coll...
Apr 26, 2012
Howard
Train Derailed by Landslide (Scotland, April 27)
Two people were rushed to hospital yesterday after a train was derailed by a landslide thought to have been caused by heavy rainfall.
All 17 passengers on board the two-carriage train were evacuated after it came off the tracks near Clarborough Tunnel in West Portal, Retford, in Nottinghamshire, just after noon.
Two of the passengers, and the train driver, received minor injuries when the train was struck by debris from the landslide and were taken to hospital.
The rest were taken by taxi to nearby stations to continue their journeys.
A BTP spokesman said it is thought the landslide was caused by the large amount of rain that has showered the county.
Apr 28, 2012
Howard
Train Derails Near Red Deer, Alberta (April 21)
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating the derailment of 10 freight cars, about 30 kilometres south of Red Deer, Alta., early this morning.
Three of the cars jacknifed at around 1 a.m. MT and came into contact with a second freight train next to the main track at Campaign Station, John Cottreau, manager of TSB media relations, told CBC News.
Cottreau said there were no injuries, and no dangerous goods were involved in the accident, which happened on the Red Deer subdivision, a rail line between Calgary and Red Deer.
He said some of the cars contained residue of glycol. Cottreau could not provide further details, but said the substance is not classified as a dangerous good under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act.
The cause of the derailment is not known. A TSB investigator has been sent to the scene.
Apr 28, 2012
Beva
By Cam Fortems
Daily News Staff Reporter
CANOE – Residents of this small community are used to rumbling of trains only 10 metres from their homes, but what they heard in the darkness of Monday morning was something else.
"There was a loud bang," said Brian Mortensen, who lives about three houses back from the CP Rail tracks.
"At the same time you hear screeching metal and twisting up."
Only metres away from quaint homes that line Shuswap Lake just east of Salmon Arm were 11 rail cars, most of them dumping their load of coal on the grass and on 75 Avenue Northeast in Canoe.
The black material was tracked up and down the road by emergency and clean up vehicles.
CP Rail spokesman Kevin Hrysak said westbound coal train derailed at 5:30 a.m. Monday. Locomotives remained on the track and there were no injuries.
"This happened at the tail end of the train."
Eleven cars left the tracks, eight of them spewing coal on and around the rail line. One of the trains hit a rail storage shed, which was completely taken apart by crews with heavy machinery within a few hours. Rail cars were smashed and twisted.
The train hit a fire hydrant and crews were on hand to restore water service to residents. That was expected by 4 p.m. Monday.
Janice Ellis and Wes Carlson, who live only 10 metres from the tracks, where they sandwiched between the trains and lake, said they saw CP Rail workers check a section of track immediately in front of their house frequently during the past month.
"They were there every day," Carlson said.
They checked it out themselves several days ago and saw a hockey puck-sized piece of steel missing from one track. They wondered if that caused the accident.
Hrysak said CP Rail won't speculate on the cause, which will be investigated internally as well as by regulatory and safety agencies.
CP said the derailment caused only minimal delays on lines, as the rail company was co-operating with CN Rail to use alternative routes.
"I don't think we'll see any trains for four or five days," Carlson, surveying the trackside wreckage.
Another neighbour, Eko Dance, said he was awoken by a tremendous "bang," which he immediately knew was a train that left the tracks.
http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/article/20120430/KAMLOOPS0101/120439989/...
May 1, 2012
Beva
30 freight train cars derail
Authorities in north-central Illinois say they're investigating the possibility that high winds caused the freight train to derail, damaging about 30 rail cars.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/05/07/2134975/30-freight-train-c...
May 7, 2012
Howard
Passenger Train Derails Near Miami Airport (May 13) -
http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21007464043824/train-derail...
Passengers on board a train that connects to Miami International Airport had to exit on the track after three cars derailed.
A MIA Mover train derailed while on its way from the terminal to a car rental center at Miami International Airport Sunday morning. In all, two cars went off the tracks with 12 passengers on board. Two passengers suffered minor injuries
Monday morning the MIA Mover remained out of service.
On Sunday, authorities responded to the scene and evacuated all of the passengers on board. A 7News viewer sent in a photo of a mother and her children being helped out of a car by a police officer.
Two passengers suffered minor injuries as the cars tilted to one side.
The derailment caused delays for some airport passengers who wanted to return rental cars, forcing them to miss their flights. "The entrance into this area was closed down, so you could not return a car," said Alex Saavedra, a passenger who missed his flight. "So we kept riding around, looping, looping around. So I call them, and I said, 'If this continues, how much longer? Do you have a contingency plan?' He wouldn't answer me. He went around and around and then he hung up on me."
The airport bused passengers between the rental center and the terminal, but that resulted in long lines and backaches for travelers. "The problem is more lifting, carrying and dragging the bags," said Fulvia Baldera, who is taking the bus. "This way, we could have gone straight with the bags to the gate."
Airport Officials believe the cause of the derailment was due to a guide wheel issue. "I have been told that there was a guide wheel that came off, and that's the reason that the train tilted to one side," said Marc Henderson, a spokesperson for Miami International Airport.
Crews brought in a crane and worked for hours before managing to remove one of the cars off of the track. It was placed on a flatbed truck and taken away for repairs.
The MIA Mover was seen back up and running by 6 p.m., Monday.
May 15, 2012
Beva
No injuries after Amtrak train from Chicago derails near downtown St. Louis
Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/no-injuries-after-amtrak-t...
May 28, 2012
Howard
Train Derails in Maine, 2 Tanker Cars Fall into Penobscot River (May 26) -
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/e61339e737e949e7bd0816cbf06fd...
Pan Am Railways is investigating a train derailment in Maine that damaged about 200 feet of track and sent two tanker cars into the Penobscot River.
Four train cars derailed about 7 p.m. Friday along a stretch of Pan Am Railways track that hugs the river in Bucksport. The 31-car train was bringing a delivery to the Verso Paper mill in Bucksport at the time.
May 31, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.kait8.com/story/18844480/pemiscot-county-train-derailmen...
CARUTHERSVILLE, MO (KFVS) -
A portion of Pemiscot County Road 208 was shut down Thursday due to a train derailment, according to the Pemiscot County Sheriff's Department.
Andy Williams with Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) says 29 cars of a southbound train with 135 cars derailed around 3 a.m. Thursday.
The train was carrying coal. Three trains have been delayed and rerouted. Williams says traffic will be rerouted until the crash is cleaned up.
Jun 22, 2012
Howard
Trains Collide in Oklahoma Without Explanation, 3 Missing in Fireball Explosion (June 24) -
Two freight trains collided head-on and exploded into flames on Sunday in Oklahoma, sending billowing black smoke into the air and leaving three Union Pacific employees missing and possibly dead, authorities said.
There was no explanation yet on why the two trains were traveling toward one another on the same track about a mile (1.6 km) east of the panhandle town of Goodwell, in an unpopulated area near the Texas state line.
About 50 volunteer firefighters from five nearby towns had been fighting the fire, which engulfed three locomotives and about 10 rail-cars, since the morning collision but had not been able to extinguish the flames by late afternoon.
“The diesel fuel in those engines just doesn’t want to go out, and the rail cars are all tightly packed,” said Harold Tyson, emergency management director of Texas County, Oklahoma.
One Union Pacific employee escaped injury but three others were missing and possibly dead, Tyson said. A Union Pacific spokeswoman confirmed three crew were reported missing.
http://www.inautonews.com/impact-two-trains-collide-in-oklahoma
http://www.krmg.com/news/news/local/3-people-missing-after-trains-c...
Jun 25, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Jun-27/178431-sau...
Saudi city passenger train derailment, passengers hurt
RIYADH: A Saudi passenger train heading from the kingdom's eastern city of Dammam to the capital Riyadh derailed on Wednesday, causing injuries but no deaths, a senior transportation official said.
Hamad Abdel Qader, deputy chief of operations at the Saudi Railways Organization, told AFP that the train derailed "100 kilometers (62 miles) east of Riyadh."
He said there were "no deaths in the accident ... but several" people were wounded, including one man who was evacuated to Riyadh for medical treatment.
The train was traveling along Saudi Arabia's only passenger rail link, some 400 kilometers (250 miles) long, that connects Riyadh and Dammam, a coastal city in the vast desert kingdom's oil-rich Eastern province.
Jun 28, 2012
Starr DiGiacomo
Union Pacific coal train derails near Junction City
A Union Pacific coal train, on a run from Colorado to Memphis, TN has derailed near Junction City, KS. Around 5PM Wednesday, 21 coal cars of the 105 car train left the tracks, and some tipped over on their sides. There were no injuries.
Union Pacific Crews will work through the night to clear the tracks and get them open again. Union Pacific Spokesperson Mark Davis estimates that the tracks might be clear and open again in 24 hours.
Mr. Davis could not tell Kansas First News if the coal cars were new or older models. The age of the cars makes a difference in how much coal each car can carry. The loads run anywhere from 75 tons to 100 tons for each coal car.
Mr. Davis also told Kansas First News that the coal on the ground is now called "Dirty Coal" and can not be delivered to an electric company. That coal is piled up on the side of the tracks and a contractor comes in to collect it. Dirty Coal would then be taken and sold to some kind of foundry whose requirements do not include Clean Coal.
Jun 28, 2012