Earth Changes and the Pole Shift
Train derailments
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://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/27769399/freight-train-derails-in...
Freight train derails in Cicero
Posted: Jan 06, 2015 7:07 AM ESTUpdated: Jan 06, 2015 9:29 AM EST
CICERO (FOX 32 News) -A Burlington Northern freight train derailed in south suburban Cicero early Tuesday morning.
Crews were notified at 4:18 p.m. of the derailment on Metra BNSF tracks in the 4700 block of West 26th Street in Cicero, police News Affairs Officer Janel Sedevic said.
Several police departments were called to the scene.
Officials at the scene say nine cars were involved in the derailment and seven were tipped on their sides. No one was hurt.
Traffic was blocked in the area near Ogden Avenue. The derailment was not affecting commuter trains as of 6:30 a.m.
Jan 7, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/train-derails-near-t...
Train derails near Thunder Bay, Ont.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015, 5:24 PM - A HAZMAT team has been sent in to assist with a train derailment near that occurred near Thunder Bay late Tuesday morning.
Twenty-two cars went off the track around 11:20 a.m. According to the OPP, several of them are carrying crude oil. No leaks have been identified.
Hwy. 17 near the Nipigon junction has been shut down as a precaution, and it could remain that way for up to 24 hours.
“No motor traffic will be going through until we know more about what materials are on board and what hazards are involved with it,” OPP Nipigon detachment commander Sgt. Randy Bye told CKPR News.
No one was injured in the incident.
Jan 14, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/27841318/photos-freight-train-der...
Freight train derails, cars roll over on South Side
No one was hurt when a freight train derailed Tuesday afternoon on the South Side.
Five rail cars
on a train were involved in the derailment near 95th Street and Cottage Grove, according to Chicago fire officials.
Four of the cars rolled onto their sides, and one was tipping, Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said. All of the cars were empty at the time.
Emergency crews initially called for a hazardous materials response as a precaution because the train included some tanker cars, Langford said. None of them were damaged in the derailment.
Jan 14, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/288574941.html
UPDATE: CP Rail delayed reporting Glacier National Park derailment
posted Jan 14, 2015 at 11:00 AM— updated Jan 14, 2015 at 3:28 PM
CP Rail took more than a day to notify the Transportation Safety Board about a derailment that took place in Glacier National Park, theTimes Review was told.
James Carmichael, a senior investigator with the TSB, said they were only notified of the derailment Wednesday morning — more than 24 hours after five cars jumped the track on the Stoney Creek Bridge.
"It is a concern," he said. "The head office will be looking into the delay in reporting."
A CP Rail train derailed on the Stoney Creek Bridge near the east end of Glacier National Park on Tuesday, Jan. 13, at around 5:30 a.m.
CP Rail spokesperson Salem Woodrow said five empty flat cars derailed. She denied reports the cars were dangling in the air off the bridge, which sits almost 100 metres above Stoney Creek.
Woodrow said there were no injuries, no spills and no public safety concerns.
TSB regulations require railway companies to report incidents "as soon as possible and by the quickest means available."
Woodrow said CP Rail would be looking into the delay in reporting, saying it was company policy to report incidents as soon as possible.
"It is part of our processes to contact them immediately," she said.
Carmichael said the TSB was investigating the derailment.
"We just found out about it earlier on today," he said. "We're starting to do our investigative work. We have not deployed yet."
He said investigators would look at how the train was being handled, the condition of the track, how the train was marshalled, and any mechanical issues.
The fact it took place on a bridge raises special concerns, said Carmichael. "We've had a couple of other incidents in the last few years where other structures were involved," he said. "They're an integral part of the railway network."
Here is our original story on the derailment, posted Wednesday morning:
A CP Rail train derailed on the Stoney Creek Bridge in Glacier National Park early Tuesday morning, the Times Review has learned.
Salem Woodrow, a spokesperson for CP Rail, confirmed the derailment, which took place Tuesday, Jan. 13, at about 5:30 a.m.
She said five empty flat cars derailed while crossing the bridge. There were no injuries, nothing was spilled and there were no public safety concerns.
The Times Review has contacted the Transportation Safety Board and Parks Canada to see if they have any concerns.
The Stoney Creek Bridge is regarded as one of the most scenic railway bridges in the world. It sits 90 metres above Stoney Creek, towards the eastern end of Glacier National Park.
Woodrow said CP trains were being routed around the site of the derailment.
Jan 15, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/1135...
Heathrow Express services cancelled after train derails
Holidaymakers face widespread delays as Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect trains cancelled after derailment - as signal failure causes separate travel misery
Rail services between Heathrow Airport and London were cancelled after a train derailed.
No Heathrow Express or Heathrow Connect were expected to run before midday on Wednesday.
It followed the derailment of a train at the depot, meaning no services were able to leave the Ealing base.
The incident was expected to chaos widespread delays and disruption for holidaymakers, despite tickets being accepted on other routes.
It came as thousands of rail passengers faced fresh travel misery because of another signal failure, which led to huge delays on some of the busiest routes in the country.
Elsewhere:
http://www.the-review.com/local%20news/2015/01/21/train-derails-nea...
TRAIN DERAILS NEAR MINERVA
By KIMBERLY LEWISReview Minerva Bureau Published: January 21, 2015 3:00AM
MINERVA -- An employee at Summitville Tile's Arbor Road plant heard some pops and bangs near the plant before 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Employees would soon discover four rail cars had jumped the tracks near their plant, just past where the train tracks cross Arbor Road.
Arbor Road, just south of Brush Road in Brown Township, remained closed as Ohi-Rail officials determined what caused the rail cars to derail and to clear the tracks.
Although it was unknown how long the road would be closed, the cleanup was expected to take several hours.
A blast of winter weather was expected to delay the cleanup.
An Ohi-Rail employee noted the train had been "switching out rail cars" and only some of the cars were loaded with sand, while others were empty.
The cars remained intact and none of the nearby residences were evacuated.
Ohi-Rail had recently renovated the tracks from Minerva to Hopedale in anticipation of increased train traffic related to the oil and gas industry.
Just last week, during a State of Minerva presentation to Minerva Chamber of Commerce members, General Manager Denny Varian noted how safe rail cars are compared to truck traffic.
"Rail cars are designed to stay intact in a collision of two trains going 30 mph. We will be going through town around 10 mph. It is hard to have an accident at that speed," he explained.
"It is a very safe form of transportation," Varian said.
Jan 21, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2015/01/22/train-hauling-sand-derail...
Train Hauling Fracking Sand Derails In Uniontown, Nearly Hits House
UNIONTOWN (KDKA) – A major cleanup effort continues in Fayette County after a train derailed this morning, nearly hitting some nearby homes.
According to emergency dispatchers, the incident happened on East Penn Street in Uniontown around 7:40 a.m.
Seven massive hopper cars
of the 80-car frack sand hauler derailed. All were carrying up to 135,000 pounds of sand, some of it spilling along the tracks
“We’re very fortunate with sand. There’s some Hazmats that travel across this rail, too,” Uniontown Fire Chief Dane Griffith said.
Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad operates the short line, which carries mostly Marcellus Shale products.
One of the derailed cars came to rest mere feet from the front porch of a house.
“We heard a train coming through like always and then we heard a big boom. We all jumped and ran and there it was laying in our yard,” Georgia Eans said. “I thought I was dreaming. I knew this day was going to come, but I just didn’t know when.”
“It sounded like lightning hitting the ground,” said Angela Swop, a Uniontown resident.
There are no reported injuries.
It is unclear what led to the derailment at this time, but the train’s conductor is cooperating with investigators.
Each derailed car has to be emptied before they can be righted and removed from the area. Eight vacuum trucks have been brought in to empty each car, along with other heavy equipment.
Another train has been brought in to take away the cars that remained on the track.
Several utility poles were sheared off by the derailment as well.
East Penn Street is currently closed.
The investigation into the derailment continues.
Jan 22, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.news.com.au/national/tasmania/train-derails-despite-new-...
Train derails despite new $11 million safety system
Workers assess the damage and clean-up after a TasRail train derailed at Kimberley. Pictures: CHRIS KIDD Source:News Corp Australia
A TRAIN has derailed on the state’s North-West Coast despite TasRail’s implementation of a new $11 million safety system.
The incident, near Kimberley, saw 10 wagons of the south-bound train derailed.
No one was injured. Two locomotives and a further 18 wagons remained on the track.
TasRail chief executive Damien White said the cause of the “low speed” incident appeared to be track related.
“Our track engineers will carry out further inspections once the track is cleared and we will download and review all available train data over the coming days,” he said.
TasRail train derailed at Kimberley Source: News Corp Australia
After a derailment in Colebrook in November last year, TasRail implemented a new $11 million train control system.
MORE: ADVANCED SYSTEM TO TRACK TRAINS
MORE: SPEED A FACTOR IN DERAILMENT
Mr White said the area where the incident occurred had not yet been upgraded but was scheduled to have new sleepers laid in the coming months.
TasRail has deployed work crews to clear and repair approximately 100m of track and it is expected the Western Line will remain closed for a further 24 hours.
The cause of the derailment is being investigated and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator have been notified.
Originally published as Train derails despite safety system
Jan 26, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://chronicle.augusta.com/latest-news/2015-01-27/train-derails-n...
CSX train carrying chemicals derails near Allendale, S.C.
MARTIN, S.C. — A CSX train carrying chemicals derailed in Martin about 2:40 a.m. today and hazardous-materials teams are working the scene near the Archroma plant, which has been evacuated.
Allendale County sheriff’s Lt. Steven Robinson, who is serving as the public information officer at the staging area nearby, said they have reports of two people being injured.
“They were taken first to Allendale County Hospital and then to Doctors Hospital in Augusta,” he said.
He did not know the cause nor the extent of their injuries.
South Carolina Highway 125 from state Highway 3 to Patterson Mill Road and Revolutionary Trail at Highway 3 has been blocked off while CSX and SRS hazardous-materials teams investigate and secure the scene, said Robinson.
He said he does not know what chemical was on the train whether any has been spilled.
The Archroma plant near the accident scene was evacuated for precautionary purposes.
“Everything is precautionary,” Robinson said. “At no time were the citizens in the Martin and Millett area in danger.”
“Around 2:40 a.m., Allendale County dispatch received a call of a train derailment. EMS and fire departments responded,” he said.
Additional support from fire departments from Allendale, Fairfax and Martin, CSX Hazardous Materials, Savannah River Site Hazardous Materials, Allendale and Barnwell County Emergency Preparedness offices, the state Emergency Management Division, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control, and the American Red Cross arrived.
Allendale County Fire Chief Roger Stanley is in charge of the scene, Robinson said.
“Right now the haz-matat teams are working the scene and we aren’t letting anyone down there until they secure it,” Robinson said from a command staging area at Mount Hope Baptist Church in Martin.
He said no homes in the area have been evacuated.
American Red Cross disaster-trained volunteers are assisting emergency response crews at the derailment. According to a ARC news release, “Per request of the Allendale County Emergency Management Agency, the Red Cross is providing meals, snacks, and hydration to more than 40 emergency responders. The Red Cross is prepared to continue to assist as long as needed.”
Jan 27, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/metro-north-train-derails-grand...
Metro-North train derails at Grand Central Terminal
The front engine and three cars on the New Haven-bound train derailed at 5:20 p.m. Wednesday. No one was injured and passengers were able to walk through cars to exit, but some service was delayed, canceled or combined with Hudson line service, authorities said.
The front engine and first three cars of a train bound for New Haven derailed at Grand Central station on Wednesday, the MTA said.
No one was injured and the approximately 750 passengers walked through the train cars and exited onto the platform after the 5:20 p.m. incident, an MTA spokeswoman said.
The minor incident blocked train equipment, forced the MTA to cancel some trains and combine others on the Hudson line, causing delays, authorities said.
Jan 29, 2015
Mark
Oil Train Spills Hit Record Level in 2014
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/oil-train-spills-hit-rec...
American oil trains spilled crude oil more often in 2014 than in any year since the federal government began collecting data on such incidents in 1975, an NBC News analysis shows.
The record number of spills sparked a fireball in Virginia, polluted groundwater in Colorado, and destroyed a building in Pennsylvania, causing at least $5 million in damages and the loss of 57,000 gallons of crude oil.
By volume, that's dramatically less crude than trains spilled in 2013, when major derailments in Alabama and North Dakota leached a record 1.4 million gallons -- more than was lost in the prior 40 years combined. But by frequency of spills, 2014 set a new high with 141 "unintentional releases," according to data from the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). By comparison, between 1975 and 2012, U.S. railroads averaged just 25 spills a year.
The vast majority of the incidents occurred while the trains were "in transit," in the language of regulators, rumbling along a network of tracks that pass by homes and through downtowns. They included three major derailments and seven incidents classified as "serious" because they involved a fire, evacuation or spill of more than 120 gallons. That's up from five serious incidents in 2013, the data shows.
"They've got accidents waiting to happen," said Larry Mann, the principal author of the landmark Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970. "Back in 1991 I said, 'One day a community is going to get wiped out by a freight train. Well, in 2013 that happened and unless something changes it's going to happen again."
Feb 3, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/02/10/metrolink-train-derails-n...
Metrolink Train Derails At L.A. Union Station
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Los Angeles City Fire personnel are on the scene of a Metrolink train derailment at L.A. Union Station.
The incident occurred near Bauchet and Vignes streets shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to a L.A. City Fire spokesperson.
The train remained upright and passengers were being offloaded.
No injuries were reported.
The circumstances surrounding the derailment are under investigation.
All Metrolink trains arriving to and departing from Union Station are expected to be delayed.
Feb 11, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.kotatv.com/news/nebraska-news/Union-Pacific-Train-Derail...
Union Pacific Train Derails near Bayard
Loaded coal cars jump the tracks, block both UP lines
Coal cars in a Union Pacific train derail near Bayard.
At least 26 load coal cars in an eastbound Union Pacific train derailed this morning, leaving both UP rail lines blocked amid tangled wreckage and scattered coal.
According to UP Spokesman Mark Davis, the accident occurred around 11:30 this morning with no injuries reported among the crew. Davis says the train was eastbound coming out of the Wyoming coal fields.
Heavy equipment and managers from North Platte are on the way to the site to assess the situation, and Davis says it's not known at this time how long the investigation will take or how long it will be before either of the rail lines in the accident site area will open to train traffic.
Feb 12, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/100-injured-as-bangal...
Updated: February 13, 2015 10:42 IST
4 dead as Bengaluru-Ernakulam train derails
Nearly 100 passengers are feared injured after the Ernakulam-bound train from Bengaluru toppled near Belagondapalli village, near Hosur on Friday.
In an early morning train accident near Bengaluru, four passengers have died and nearly 100 injured after coaches of Ernakulam-bound Bengaluru City-Ernakulam Intercity express (Train no. 12677) derailed on the city's outskirts.
The accident has been reported at Belagondapalli near Anekal town on the city's outskirts around 7.35 a.m. Sources said that the injured have been rushed to various hospitals in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Railway sources said that nine coaches derailed causing the accident. A senior railway official said, "Initial reports suggest a boulder may have fallen on the track."
Heavy equipment are being summoned from Erode to remove the mangled remains on Anekal road and Hosur line of the Bengaluru-Salem section. The accident site is about 15 km from Tamil Nadu border.
Ernakulam Area Manager of Southern Railway Rajesh Chandran said that the names and addresses of the victims are yet to be ascertained.
Feb 13, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Crude+train+dedrails+Alberta/10815...
Crude oil train derails in Alberta
No leaks reported at site in Crowsnest Pass
By Canadian Press, CP February 14, 2015 5:07 PM
FRANK, Alta. — A train hauling crude oil has derailed in southern Alberta, but the railway and the Transportation Safety Board say there does not appear to be any leaks.
CP Rail says in a news release that a dozen cars carrying crude on a westbound train derailed near Frank in the Crowsnest Pass early Saturday morning.
The railway says 10 of the cars remained upright and that crews are putting them back onto the tracks.
It says there were no injuries or public safety issues.
Chris Krepski with the Transportation Safety Board says the board’s investigators are gathering information about the incident, but that investigators are not being dispatched to the scene at this point.
Feb 15, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://tribune.com.pk/story/838613/accident-shalimar-express-derail...
Accident Shalimar: Express derails, over 20 people hurt
A view of derailed boogies after accident of Shalimar Express train near Detha Station. PHOTO: APP
HYDERABAD: A bogie of the Shalimar Express met an accident near Hyderabad Railway Station and left nearly two dozen passengers injured.
Around 18 injured passengers were shifted to Civil Hospital, Hyderabad, where five patients were believed to be in critical condition, according to the duty doctor, Shaukat Lakho.
According to the doctor, the left arm of Shabana, 25, was amputated from the bicep while the right arm of Abdul Ghafoor, 35, was fractured. Tanveer Bano, 50, lost a thumb and another patient, who has yet to be identified, sustained a fracture on his left leg. He was referred to Karachi. “Around 90 per cent of these patients were orthopaedic cases,” said Dr Lakho.
The accident took place near Detha station, some 15 kilometres away from Hyderabad. The last bogie of this Karachi-bound business train overturned while two others derailed. “We hear time and again that a bogie or two have derailed or a train collided with some vehicle on the railway crossing,” said a schoolteacher Hashim Detho, who claimed he was among the first to reach the site.
An injured passenger, Ghafoor, said that they felt vibrations after the train drive pressed emergency brakes, and then the bogie flipped over. “The vibrations lasted 30 seconds,” said an elderly man, Abdul Hameed.
The injured Khalid Farooq, a railway guard who was in the last compartment of the bogie, said he felt one of the wheels become detached. “It seemed as if one or two wheels have broken.
The train moved on for a few hundred metres before the bogie fell down.”
Meanwhile, the railways department have sprung into action. “A four-member inquiry committee has been formed to investigate whether the accident was caused by the tracks or the detachment of a faulty wheel from the bogie,” said Railways DS Nisar Ahmed Memon. The report will be submitted within three days.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2015.
Feb 15, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/cn-train-carrying-crud...
CN train carrying crude oil derails, catches fire in Northern Ontario
Published Sunday, Feb. 15 2015, 10:23 AM EST
Last updated Sunday, Feb. 15 2015, 1:28 PM EST
A Canadian National Railway Ltd. train carrying 100 tank cars of crude oil has derailed and caught fire in Northern Ontario.
A CN spokesman said there were no injuries in the derailment that happened around midnight on Saturday about 80 kilometres south of Timmins, Ont., on the CN mainline in a remote area inaccessible by road.
Twenty-nine cars jumped the tracks and seven are still on fire early on Sunday afternoon.
Rob Johnston, an investigations team manager with the Transportation Safety Board, said the train was travelling eastbound at 40 miles an hour when the crew felt an impact and saw flames about 10 cars behind the locomotive. They halted the train and detached the engines and pulled ahead, according to safety procedures.
The TSB investigators, who are not yet on the scene, will face difficult conditions determining the amount of any spill and the cause due to the site's remote location and the cold weather, Mr. Johnston said in an interview.
"There is a fire at the scene," said Patrick Waldron. "CN has initiated its emergency response plan and has crews responding to the site. That includes firefighting and environmental crews and equipment."
Via Rail said it has cancelled passenger rail service between Toronto and Winnipeg until the rail line has been cleared. Via said it will offer alternate arrangements for passengers already en route or due to travel Sunday.
The increase in the amount of crude moving on the rails has raised safety concerns that were highlighted by the 2013 tragedy in Lac Megantic, Que., where a runaway train derailed, exploded and killed 47 people. Since then, governments in Canada and the United States have begun phasing in tougher crash standards for tank cars and lower speeds for oil trains. But several trains carrying oil and other petroleum products have crashed and caught fire since the tragedy in Lac Megantic, including derailments in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan in 2014.
Oil producers have increasingly used trains to move crude amid a shortage of pipeline space, and to enjoy the flexibility railways offer. The plunge in oil prices has dampened growth in the crude-by-rail business since the fall, but the number of trains carrying oil is expected to rise this year as new terminals are opened.
Feb 15, 2015
Tracie Crespo
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/west-virginia-train-derailment-sen...
West Virginia train derailment sends oil tanker into river
MOUNT CARBON, W.Va. — A train carrying more than 100 tankers of crude oil derailed in southern West Virginia on Monday, sending at least one into the Kanawha River, igniting at least 14 tankers and sparking a house fire, officials said.
There were no immediate reports of injuries. Nearby residents were told to evacuate as a state emergency response and environmental officials headed to the scene about 30 miles southeast of Charleston.
The state was under a winter storm warning and getting heavy snowfall at times, with as much as 5 inches in some places. It's not clear if the weather had anything to do with the derailment, which occurred about 1:20 EST along a flat stretch of rail.
James Bennett, 911 coordinator for Fayette County, said he knew of no injuries related to the house fire or subsequent tanker fires. He said a couple hundred families were evacuated as a precaution.
The rail company acknowledged the derailment on its Twitter page.
"A CSX train derailed in Mount Carbon, WV," the company tweeted. "We are working with first responders on the scene to ensure the safety of the community."
The fire continued burning along a hillside Monday evening, and small fires could be seen on the river.
David McClung said he felt the heat from one of the explosions at his home about a half mile up the hill.
His brother in law was outside at the time of the derailment and heard a loud crack below along the riverfront, then went inside to summon McClung, his wife and their son.
One of the explosions that followed sent a fireball at least 300 feet into the air, McClung said.
"We felt the heat, I can tell you that," McClung said. "It was a little scary. It was like an atomic bomb went off."
The office of Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, which has issued a state of emergency, said the tanker cars were loaded with Bakken crude from North Dakota and headed to Yorktown, Va.
Local emergency officials said all but two of the 109 cars being hauled were tanker cars.
West Virginia American Water spokeswoman Laura Jordan said the company shut down a water treatment plant, located about 3 miles from the derailment, at about 2:30 p.m. The plant serves about 2,000 customers.
State health officials said another water plant downstream in the town of Cedar Grove also closed its intake. They asked customers from both water systems to conserve water.
The U.S. Transportation Department is weighing tougher safety regulations for rail shipments of crude, which can ignite and result in huge fireballs.
Responding to a series of fiery train crashes, including one this spring in Lynchburg, Va., the government proposed rules in July that would phase out tens of thousands of older tank cars that carry increasing quantities of crude oil and other highly flammable liquids. It's not clear how old the tankers were on the derailed train.
Feb 17, 2015
Mark
Coal train derails at Kankool in the NSW Upper Hunter (Australia)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-16/long-clean-up-after-coal-trai...
The empty coal train derailed at Kankool between Murrurundi and Willow Tree early yesterday morning.
Rail safety regulators have inspected the scene and handed the line back to the Australian Rail Track Corporation to begin the salvage operation.
Heavy lift cranes will be used today to recover the 19 wagons that left the track.
ARTC says the line is expected to re-open late on Friday.
The derailment has disrupted coal exports from the Gunnedah Basin and road coaches are replacing passenger trains between Muswellbrook and Werris Creek.
New England Highway motorists are being warned to exercise caution with a number of near misses involving people stopping to view the scene.
Feb 17, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/20/mozambique-accident-idUSL...
Mozambique freight train derails, at least 17 dead
MAPUTO Fri Feb 20, 2015 1:24am EST
Feb 20 (Reuters) - At least 17 people were killed after a freight train carrying commuters and merchandise including coal derailed in Mozambique's capital on Thursday, a railway company driver told Reuters on Friday.
The Mozambique Ports and Railways train derailed at about 1200 GMT. It was travelling from Maputo to neighbouring Zimbabwe. No further details were available.
The company had no immediate comment.
Feb 20, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/75f5c22a672243dd958efe57669cf...
2 trains collide in northern Switzerland, 1 derails; 5 people injured
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
February 20, 2015 - 4:47 am EST
One of the trains then derailed, Zurich canton (state) police said. Five people were injured, one of them seriously.
Train cars were knocked off the tracks, but not overturned.
Switzerland's national railway said the two trains — a fast train traveling from Zurich to Schaffhausen and a commuter service from Rafz to Schaffhausen — collided at a switch just outside the station, with one hitting the other side-on.
It wasn't immediately clear what caused the accident.
Feb 21, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.kare11.com/story/news/2015/02/25/train-derails-in-northe...
Train derails in northeast MN, involves hazmat cars
11:24 a.m. EST February 25, 2015
COTTON, Minn. - Crews are cleaning up after the derailment of a Canadian National Railway train near the town of Cotton early Tuesday.
The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office says 13 cars went off the tracks around 3:25 a.m., including three that contained hazardous materials. Both the sheriff and Canadian National insist there is no leakage from any of the haz mat cars and no danger to the public. The other 10 cars involved in the derailment were either carrying plastic pellets or were empty.
County emergency services manager Scott Camps says the southbound train had a total of 107 cars. He says the hazardous material is naphthalene. That's best known as a main ingredient in mothballs. It was headed from Winnipeg, Manitoba to Superior, Wisconsin.
"CN has crews, including hazardous materials specialists, mobilized," CN spokesperson Patrick Waldron told the Duluth News Tribune. "We'll conduct a cleanup and full investigation into the cause of this morning's accident. We'll bring in heavy equipment that will allow them to clean up and move the rail cars."
Cotton is about 20 miles south of Virginia, MN. The Grand Lake, Northland, Cotton and Fredenberg fire departments responded to the scene.
No cause has been determined, the sheriff's office said.
Feb 25, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://myfox8.com/2015/03/02/emergency-crews-on-the-scene-of-train-...
Emergency crews respond to train derailment in Trinity
TRINITY, N.C. — Emergency crews in Trinity responded to the scene of a train derailment on Monday.
The derailment happened on Blair Farm Road off of Prospect Street.
Four cars reportedly went off the track.
There is no word on any injuries or what caused the derailment.
Crews said the train is blocking several driveways on Blair Farm Road.
They were not sure how long it will take to move the cars.
Mar 3, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/03/crude-oil-train-derails-catches-...
Crude oil train derails, catches fire while traveling through Illinois
05 MAR 2015 AT 20:11 ET
NSF Railway train loaded with crude oil derailed and caught fire on Thursday afternoon in a rural area south of Galena, Illinois, according to local officials and the company.
The incident marks the latest in a series of derailments in North America and the third in three weeks involving trains hauling crude oil, which has put a heightened focus on rail safety.
Dark smoke was seen for miles around the crash site, and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency told local WREX.com that two of the cars were potentially on fire. Images posted online by Dubuque Scanner showed flames several hundred feet high, while aerial footage showed the wreck spread across two sets of track.
The train with 105 loaded cars — 103 of them carrying crude oil — derailed around 1:20 p.m. CST (1920 GMT), according to a BNSF statement. The incident occurred on what appears to be a major rail line alongside the Mississippi River that handles as many as 50 oil-trains a week, one official said.
“The sky is pretty dark down there, the smoke is pretty black,” said Kevin Doyle, whose property borders the tracks. “If you’re standing on the tracks you can throw a rock in the water.”
BNSF said there were no reported injuries and no evacuations. The Berkshire Hathaway Inc unit did not know what had caused the derailment, which occurred about 3 miles outside Galena, a town of just over 3,000 on the border with Wisconsin.
Eight cars derailed, according to Galena City Administrator Mark Moran, six of which had tumbled onto their side. He said emergency responders were called back to Galena as a precaution, and BNSF responders had taken over control of the site. It was not clear if oil had spilled from the tank cars.
It was also not immediately clear where the train originated or where it was heading. Chicago, which is 160 miles east, is a major rail hub for shipments from both North Dakota and Canada’s oil sands. It was unclear if the train’s tank cars were older models widely criticized for being prone to puncture during accidents.
About 40 to 50 oil trains come through the area each week, Jo Daviess County Emergency Manager Charles Pedersen said. He had said earlier that there was no explosion or fire at the site.
The accident is just the latest involving oil trains in the United States and Canada.
In 2013, 47 people were killed in the Quebec town of Lac-Mégantic after a train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded. The last incident was just three weeks ago.
Last month, a Canadian Pacific Railway freight train derailment in nearby Dubuque, Iowa, spilled ethanol fuel into the water and set three cars on fire. Dubuque, which is 14 miles to the north west of Galena, has almost 60,000 inhabitants.
A National Transportation Safety Board spokesman said the federal agency was not investigating the incident.
Mar 6, 2015
KM
http://rt.com/news/238693-canada-train-derailment-gogama/
Huge fire: Train carrying crude oil derails in Canada
ARCHIVE PHOTO: Heavy equipment is used in an attempt to extinguish a fire after a crude oil train derailment 50 miles (80 km) south of Timmins, Ontario, February 16, 2015. (Reuters / Transportation Safety Board of Canada / Handout via Reuters)
A train carrying crude oil has derailed in Northern Ontario and burst into flames. This is the fourth derailment in the province since the start of the year.
CN Rail, the owner of the rail network in the eastern Canadian province, said the crash took place at 2:45 am on Saturday. No one was injured.
Three roads near the community of Gogama, where the accident took place, have been sealed off for up to 36 hours.
The $70-billion Canadian National Railway Company suffered its last derailment in nearby Horneypayne just two days earlier, though there was no chemical spillage in that crash.
But a massive explosion, also in Gogama, just last month resulted in the spillage of more than 1 million liters of bitumen into the environment, after 15 carriage tanks were breached, following yet another derailment. The authorities said that the spill contaminated a nearby lake and pond, but insisted the toxicity levels were not threatening to humans or wildlife.
Last year Canadian authorities instituted more stringent safety standards for rail cars carrying flammable liquids, and last month new rules increased insurance liabilities for companies transporting dangerous goods.
The measures are a response primarily to the Luc-Megantic disaster of 2013, when an oil-laden train exploded after a derailment in an urban area in Quebec, causing the deaths of 47 people.
The industry has resisted sweeping measures, which it says will force it to refit 50,000 train carriages in a decade, scuppering the oil-by-rail revolution that has taken place in the last half decade, caused by production expansion in Western Canada, and limits in pipeline capacity. Canadian train tracks are expected to carry 700,000 barrels of oil a day by next year, up from less than 300,000 in 2009.
Mar 7, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.wbbjtv.com/news/local/Cargo-train-derails-in-east-Jackso...
Cargo train derails in east Jackson
Story Created: Mar 11, 2015 at 6:49 PM CDT
Story Updated: Mar 11, 2015 at 10:50 PM CDT
Hundreds of thousands of pounds of corn were piled along James Buchanan Drive after two freight cars fell on their sides. Traffic can now pass through the area but there is still a lot of work to be done to get things cleared up
"We just need to get it cleaned up, so the people can be safe out here," resident Virginia Hurd said. "Hopefully they get that done as soon as they possibly can."
Residents said they heard the moment the train ran off the tracks
"It was a loud noise, a boom," Mcewen Bond said. "So we ran to the neighbors and then we saw the train leaning over."
Officials with West Tennessee Railroad said the 30 car train was traveling at a low rate of speed before it ran over a broken switch which caused the train to jump the tracks.
"Never have I seen this," Hurd said. "I've been in this community for 60 years and this is the first time."
With trains traveling in this area all the time residents said they are just happy things were not worse.
"I'm glad no one was through here and no one got hurt," Hurd said.
West Tennessee Railroad said the clean-up will really begin Thursday morning.
They are going to bring in some heavy machinery to re-rail the cars and also fix some of the track that were damaged during the derailment.
Mar 12, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/australian-boy-injured-after-r...
Australian boy injured after roller coaster derails in southern Vietnam Thanh Nien News Saturday, March 14, 2015 07:00
A 10-year-old boy is hospitalized at around 8p.m. on Friday after a derailed roller coaster throws him to the ground.Mar 14, 2015
Yvonne Lawson
Multiple casualties in north India train derailment
Six people were killed and 40 others injured when three coaches of a train derailed in Uttar Pradesh, northern India. The injured people have been admitted to nearby hospitals.
Conflicting reports suggest there are more fatalities from the derailment than officially stated.
The Janta express train 1422 was traveling from Dehradun to Varanasi. “One engine and two coaches have been derailed,” according to Chief PR officer Neeraj Sharma, as quoted by IBN media outlet.
Read more: http://rt.com/news/242457-train-derailment-raebareli-india/
Mar 20, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/train-hauling-methanol-derails-in-centr...
Train hauling methanol derails in central Texas, prompting evacuations
VALLEY MILLS, Texas -- Texas authorities are evacuating homes after at least 10 train cars derailed near Valley Mills, including five tanker cars carrying methanol.
According to Bosque County Emergency Manager Tim Jeske, the derailment happened around 5 p.m. Saturday, CBS affiliate KWTV in Waco reported.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Trooper D.L. Wilson told the Associated Press one or two of the methanol-hauling tanks have small leaks.
A hazardous materials crew was on scene and environmental tests were being performed, according to KWTV.
Wilson says that as a precaution, about 10 homes within a thousand feet of the derailment have been evacuated.
No injuries or fires were been reported.
According to Wilson, the cause of the derailment is unknown. Heavy rain in the area was making it difficult for vehicles to get to the scene to unload material from the derailed cars, which also include seven flatbeds carrying oil-well pipes.
Valley Mills is about 25 miles northwest of Waco in central Texas.
Mar 22, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/cp-train-derailment-near-wet...
CP train derailment near Wetaskiwin, more than a dozen cars leave tracks
Transportation Safety Board says no injuries reported following derailment of 15 to 20 potash cars
CBC News Posted: Mar 22, 2015 1:20 PM MT
A train derailment south of Edmonton has left over a dozen train cars mangled on the side of a highway Sunday morning.
The Transportation Safety Board has confirmed between 15 to 20 cars, all carrying potash, left the tracks near Highway 13, about one kilometre outside the town of Wetaskiwin, Alta.
Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board are expected to arrive on the scene later today (Laurel Wheler)
"It’s just a total wreck,” said Dale Aitchison, who came across the derailment shortly after it happened.
"They are pretty much crunched up and piled up on top of each other.”
While no one was injured in the derailment, Aitchison said the incident made him worry about the safety of having freight trains run so close to the town.
"There’s a lot of oil, a lot of gas around here. If that left the tracks, it would be devastating.”
The highway has been blocked off and a team of investigators with the safety board is expected to arrive on scene later in the afternoon
Mar 23, 2015
Tracie Crespo
www.mynews4.com/news/local/story/48-train-cars-overturn-in-derailme...
48 train cars overturn in derailment near U.S. 95
CHURCHILL COUNTY, Nev. (MyNews4.com & KRNV) -- According to the Churchill County Sheriff's Office, U.S. 95 is now reopened following today's train derailment.
Officials from the local HAZMAT team say the area is safe for travel and no threat is posed to the public.
The investigation has been completely turned over to Union Pacific.
CHURCHILL COUNTY, Nev. (MyNews4.com & KRNV) -- The Nevada Highway Patrol reports a train derailment near U.S. 95 northbound mile marker 47 between Fallon and I-80.
Officials say the train tracks intersect U.S. 95 and the train derailed about eight miles from the highway.
According to Francisco Castillo, the Public Information Officer for Union Pacific, 48 of 51 total train cars have derailed; but there are no injuries reported at this point.
Union Pacific is currently conducting the investigation, but we do not yet know the cause of the derailment.
NHP tells News 4 the highway is shut down in both directions at mile marker 47 because of a possible hazardous spill resulting from the derailment. They say they don't have the HAZMAT equipment necessary to get close enough to confirm whether or not there is a spill.
Mar 26, 2015
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3016163/Pictured-Twisted-cr...
Pictured: Twisted, crumpled wreckage of massive freight train after it was derailed by 'slight landslide' near tiny Greek settlement
Two drivers were injured when a massive freight train derailed in northern Greece and crumpled into a pile of twisted metal.
A 'slight landslide' forced it off the tracks as it passed through the tiny Gefyra settlement en route to Hungary, local website News 247 has reported.
15 of its 30 carriages derailed in the horrific accident which has now blocked the track linking Greece's second largest city Thessaloniki and Belgrade in Serbia 'indefinitely'.
The local people inspecting the wreckage are completely dwarfed by the enormity of the train's containers.
Wreck: A 'slight landslide' near the Greek settlement Gefyra has forced a massive freight train to derail
Crisis: Two drivers are believed to be injured and were taken to a local hospital after the train came off the tracks
Mar 28, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.myfoxal.com/story/28681240/railroad-official-says-no-imm...
Railroad official says no immediate threat after trail derails near Irondale City Hall
Posted: Mar 31, 2015 10:19 PM EDTUpdated: Apr 01, 2015 12:42 AM EDT
IRONDALE, AL (WBRC) -Irondale police are responding to a train derailment in the heart of the city on Tuesday around 8:30 p.m.
Police said there is diesel fuel leaking from an engine. Norfolk Southern officials said 13 cars have derailed. One is leaking liquid rubber and another is leaking a small amount of caustic soda or lye, which is used in household cleaning solutions. Environmental crews are on the scene helping with the clean up.
Officials are still asking people to stay in their homes and away from the area of city hall along 20th streets south and north while officials clean up. Police have blocked off roads within a four mile radius.
Mangina doesn't know how long this will take and says it could pose difficulties in the morning
"We're kind of a small police department and right now we've got a lot of our guys tied up on this. We still have officers patrolling streets and if this last all night or through tomorrow it's going to hurt a little bit. We do a good job for our citizens," he said.
Apr 1, 2015
Mark
CN train derails in Grande Prairie
http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/2015/04/08/cn-train-derails-in-gr...
Shortly after 7:30 p.m., three CN Rail grain cars left the track just south of 116 Avenue, spilling canola onto the grass surrounding the line.
A fourth grain car remained upright, with significant damage to its undercarriage.
The track and railway ties below the cars appeared severely distressed and bent out of shape, making the occasion far less memorable for the approximately dozen CN Rail employees attending to the derailment.
Grande Prairie RCMP and Fire Department responded along with the CN officials. Police say no injuries have been reported.
The train sat idle across 116 Avenue, 108 Avenue until two engines pulled away the unaffected cars from either side of the spill, just before 8 p.m. All area roads are now open.
CN workers on scene were giving attention to a portion of the track just north of 116 Avenue which appeared to also be bent of alignment. Brent Kossey, a public affairs official with CN Rail confirmed that the matter is under investigation but that no cause had been determined.
Apr 9, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/cn-rail-train-carrying-grain-...
CN Rail train carrying grain derails northeast of Calgary
24 freight cars carrying grain flipped onto their sides near Highway 9 and Range Road 271
CBC News Posted: Apr 10, 2015 10:26 AM MT Last Updated: Apr 10, 2015 12:24 PM MT
Several train cars carrying grain derailed and landed on their sides just northeast of Calgary on Friday morning.
The incident happened near the hamlet of Kathyrn, at Highway 9 and Range Road 271.
Emergency crews were alerted just after 10 a.m. MT that 24 cars of the CN Rail train had derailed and ended up in a field, RCMP said.
No hazardous materials were in any of the cars.
There were no injuries and no evacuations were ordered, officials say.
Rocky View County emergency crews responded with assistance from the Crossfield fire department and Beiseker and Airdrie RCMP.
Highway traffic was also unaffected, officials say.
Apr 10, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://kdvr.com/2015/04/13/train-hauling-dry-ammonia-derails-in-col...
Train hauling dry ammonia derails in Colorado Springs, prompting street closures
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A train carrying dry ammonia derailed in Colorado Springs on Sunday night, prompting several road closures, the Colorado Springs Police Department said.
The derailment happened near 900 S. Sierra Madre St. Ten cars were on the side of the road and one was tipped all the way on the side.
Police and fire departments responded to the derailment, as did hazardous materials crews.
Residents in the area were asked to stay inside their homes, but no evacuations were ordered. There were no injuries reported, but some residents complained of a burning sensation from the ammonia.
Sierra Madre, Baltic and Conejos streets were closed as crews worked to clean up the area.
Apr 13, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.airdrieecho.com/2015/04/14/train-derails-southeast-of-ai...
Train derails southeast of Airdrie
Tuesday, April 14, 2015 11:48:16 MDT AM
Twenty train cars derailed about 20 minutes southeast of Airdrie on April 10.
Rocky View County Fire Services was dispatched to the derailment, just outside of the hamlet of Kathyrn, at around 10 a.m.
Once on scene, emergency respondents found Canadian National (CN) grain cars flipped on their sides.
As they materials the cars were carrying weren’t hazardous, there was no threat to public safety.
No injuries were reported.
Randy Smith, Rocky View Fire Services Fire Chief, said the clean-up of the rails went smoothly.
“At the end of the day it turned out as fortunate as it could be,” said Smith, adding fire crews have recently undergone numerous training sessions to learn how to deal with derailment situations.
With the assistance of numerous County fire services, the scene was cleared by 11:30 a.m.
The cause of the incident is not yet known.
Grant Kaiser, communications manager with Rocky View County, said the investigation of the derailment is now the responsibility of the Federal government and the Canadian Transportation Safety Board.
Apr 15, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.your4state.com/story/d/story/csx-train-derails-near-swan...
CSX Train Derails near Swanton, Md.
Officials with the Department of Public Safety say the train went off the tracks two miles north east of Swanton, near Spring Lick Road.
They say 11 cars derailed, all were empty except one, which was hauling 126-ton of heating fuel.
Officials say that car did not overturn and was not leaking any of the fuel.
No evacuations were made, and no injuries were reported.
Fire personnel from Deer Park Volunteer Fire Department are on the scene investigating, along with CSX.
Apr 15, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20150418/linstead-resident-...
Linstead Resident Escapes Injuries After Train Derails Stopping Metres From His House
A resident of Charlemont in Linstead, St Catherine narrowly escaped injuries this morning after a section of a train loaded with alumina derailed, stopping metresaway from his house.
Jeremiah James says he was on his verandah having breakfast when he heard a crashing sound.
He said when he looked up the hillside, he saw the section of a train rolling down towards his house.
James says he thought about running outside, but didn’t because that could have put him in greater harm.
He said he also considered running inside the house but decided against that move in the event that the out-of-control train car slams into the building and sends it crumbling.
As a result, James said he stayed put on the verandah and watched the section of the train advance towards his house until it stopped just metres away.
Linstead residents soon gathered to look at what they regarded as a miracle.
According to James, in his 20 plus years in Linstead, he has never had such an experience.
The train was transporting alumina from Windalco, Ewarton to Port Esquivel for export.
Apr 19, 2015
Mark
Tube misery for commuters after derailed engineering train
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-32395305
The Central Line was closed between White City and Marble Arch following the midnight derailment at Holland Park.
The knock-on effects built up along the rest of the line and platforms became jam-packed.
Eventually Wanstead and South Woodford stations had to be closed as well.
By mid-afternoon some 45-minute journeys were still taking up to three hours.
The Rail Maritime and Transport union said four workers who suffered injuries including whiplash in the derailment were treated in hospital but were later released.
Apr 22, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://kdvr.com/2015/04/27/incredible-video-captures-train-being-bl...
Video captures train being blown off elevated bridge during storm in New Orleans
At least 11 cars were tossed from the bridge.
Chris Roberts, council chairman at Jefferson Parish Council, posted severalphotos of the train cars on Facebook.
No injuries were reported.
The New Orleans Public Belt issued a statement:
Apr 28, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.newwestrecord.ca/news/train-derails-on-new-west-waterfro...
Train derails on New West waterfront
Sunday's incident marks second derailment in April
APRIL 28, 2015 10:08 AM
Off the rails: An empty CN boxcar derailed as it was crossing Front Street under the eastern side of the parkade on Sunday. It's the second derailment in New West this month. Photograph By Contributed Trevor Morgan
A train derailed on New Westminster’s waterfront for the second time in less than a month.
On Sunday afternoon, an empty CN boxcar derailed as it was crossing Front Street under the eastern side of the parkade, across from Westminster Pier Park.
“It was a single rail car that came off the track. It was called an upright derailment. There was no hazmat issues,” said Coun. Chuck Puchmayr. “It was a very slow speed that it was travelling.”
Puchmayr, a member of the railway community advisory panel, has asked that derailments be discussed at the group’s next meeting as he’d like to know the causes of the derailments and how the railways can prevent these incidents from occurring. The panel includes representatives from four railways operating in New West, city staff and local residents.
Sunday’s derailment comes just weeks after three grain cars ran off the tracks near East Columbia Street and Brunette Avenue at about 3:45 a.m. on April 5. Last July, five train cars carrying grain derailed along Quayside Drive because of a broken track.
“Anytime a train car goes off the track it is concerning,” Puchmayr said. “It has to be concerning. If it’s a chemical car or a car with hazardous materials in it and there’s any kind of release, there are huge costs to responding to it. There’s also a concern about safety of the community. Having said that, we are very cognizant that four railways operate within New Westminster and have historically.”
Fire Chief Tim Armstrong told the Record he learned about the derailment from a report on the news and contacted on duty firefighters about whether they’d been called to the scene. The fire department sent a crew down to the site and found there had been a derailment but their assistance wasn’t needed.
“They felt there was no need to do so because it wasn’t obstructing any traffic, it was on their property and it wasn’t interfering,” he said. “There was no dangerous goods so there was no need to contact us because there was really nothing for us to do.”
While the railways have agreed to contact the fire department if a derailment occurs that involves any dangerous goods, Armstrong said they aren’t obligated to provide notifications if a car skips the track and poses no community impacts or risk to public safety.
“Supposedly it’s more common than you hear of,” he said. “Think of how many miles of track there is.”
Sunday’s incident prompted a number of New West residents to post photos on Twitter and generated some comments about the number of derailments this month and the city’s ability to respond.
Armstrong is confident the city has enough internal resources and mutual aid agreements with other communities to respond to derailments involving hazardous materials.
“I think people become a little hyper sensitive to the railways,” he said. “The reality is the railway has been there as long as the Quay has been there. There has been dangerous goods moving through there. It’s not like they just started doing it yesterday. I am sure if we look back in history there has been lots of cars that have come off the railways. I am not trying to downplay it at all … but I don’t think we need to create any kind of panic down there because I don’t think anything has really changed. If anything, I think the railways have been more responsible and have reached out to us as partners more than they possibly have done in the past. I am not overly concerned with what’s happened down there.”
On Monday, Mayor Jonathon Cote read a proclamation in honour of Public Rail Safety Week, a national week devoted to educating the public about the dangers associated with railway crossings and trespassing on railway property. According to the Railway Association of Canada, there were 180 crossing accidents and 58 trespassing accidents in Canada in 2014, a number that’s been reduced by nearly 30 per cent since Railway Safety Week began in 2003.
Apr 29, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/688461/80-injured-as-pnr-train-derails...
80 injured as PNR train derails in Taguig City
7:03 AM | Thursday, April 30th, 2015
People gawk at two coaches of a Philippine National Railways train which fell over as it was traveling southbound in Taguig City on Wednesday afternoon. The cause of the derailment has yet to be determined. Marianne Bermudez
MANILA, Philippines–Around 80 people suffered minor injuries after two coaches of a Philippine National Railways (PNR) train went offtrack, causing these to fall over in Taguig City on Wednesday.
Insp. Jonathan Aribe, Taguig Police Community Precinct 7 commander, said the derailment took place at 3:46 p.m.
According to Aribe, the PNR train carrying around 500 passengers was headed south from Manila when, upon reaching the bridge that served as the boundary between the cities of Makati and Taguig, its first coach went off the track, causing it to fall on its side.
Aribe said the first coach pulled the next one down, causing it to also topple over.
“So only the third or the last wagon of the train remained standing,” he added, noting that as soon as the two coaches fell over, the entire train stopped moving.
Aribe said around 80 riders were injured after they hit their heads against hard surfaces.
Some were rushed to the Taguig-Pateros District Hospital for treatment. Others, however, opted not to go to the hospital.
“All the around 80 passengers sustained minor injuries. Some suffered bruises, others suffered trauma because of the incident,” Aribe said, noting that he talked to one passenger who hit his head after he jumped off the train while it was still moving.
Aribe added that it was still unclear what caused the two coaches to go offtrack, saying this would have to be determined by the PNR.
“Our concern now is to guard some of the things that some passengers left behind in the train,” Aribe said, noting that as of 5:46 p.m., the two coaches were still down.
One of those injured was 2-year-old Jillian who was with her mother, Jewel.
Jewel said they were seated in the first coach when she heard a loud metallic sound. The next thing she knew, many of the passengers who were standing up were falling on her and her daughter.
“We ended up being pinned down as the wagon fell on its side. And my worry is that my daughter may have sustained some injury in the process. That’s why I am having her X-rayed,” Jewel told the Inquirer.
Asked if she would press charges against the PNR, she replied: “It depends.”
She said she had heard reports that the PNR would shoulder just the hospital expenses of those who had train tickets.
“But we lost our ticket in the train. What’s going to happen then?” she said as she decried the fact that no PNR personnel had talked to her at press time.
Apr 30, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/region/3738800-11-am-update-fi...
11 A.M. UPDATE: Fiery train derailment prompts evacuation of Heimdal, N.D.
Wells County Emergency Manager Tammy Roehrich said the BNSF Railway oil tanker train derailed about 7:30 a.m. about a mile and half east of Heimdal. Heimdal is about 80 miles southeast of Minot.
Cecily Fong, public information officer for the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services, reported there were 10 tanker cars on fire, though Roehrich reported six cars on fire.
Fong said the engine and cars not on fire have been decoupled and moved to safety.
No injuries or fatalities have been reported, Fong said.
Roehrich said she couldn’t get close enough to the train to see whether it was exploding or just burning. “It looks a lot like Casselton,” she said, referring to the fiery train wreck of oil tankers near Casselton in late 2013.
Roehrich said there were 109 cars in the train.
Wells County 911 Director and Deputy Sheriff Janelle Pepple said the the sky was black with smoke near the derailment site.
The eastbound unit train, hauling oil tankers, derailed just a quarter-mile east of Heimdal, according to Everett Johnson, whose farm is 1.5 miles east of Heimdal.
Everett Johnson, whose farm is 1.5 miles east of Heimdal, said he drove to within half a mile of the site earlier today and saw heavy black smoke pouring from the wreck. Although his home is close to the derailment, a hill blocks his view of the site.
"The wind's blowing from the southwest to the northeast, so it's not affecting the town of Heimdal," he said. "It's drizzling and raining, so that's a good thing."
The cars that derailed were toward the rear end of the train, he said. The decoupled section was pulled further east.
"It's kind of a slough area," Johnson said.
The train was operating on the BNSF Railway line in Wells County in central North Dakota, said Fong, adding about 40 people were evacuated from Heimdal.
The 2010 Census reported 27 people living in Heimdal and 21 residents in Hamburg, about 19 miles to the east. Both are in northeastern Wells County.
A statement from BNSF Railway said the tank cars involved in the incident are unjacketed CPC-1232 models, which are targeted for phase-out by 2020 under new federal safety rules announced last Friday.
A statement from Sarah Feinberg, acting Federal Railroad Administrator, said the agency has deployed a 10 person investigation team to the site.
“Today's incident is yet another reminder of why we issued a significant, comprehensive rule aimed at improving the safe transport of high hazard flammable liquids. The FRA will continue to look at all options available to us to improve safety and mitigate risks," Feinberg said in the statement.
Ron Reimche, a school bus driver for the Harvey School District, said he crossed the same train tracks a few miles away from the scene shortly before the crash was reported. He had been on his way to Esmond to pick up his first student of the day.
“I meet the trains every so often at that crossing,” said Reimche, adding that he makes sure to stop well back from the train tracks on his route. “In my opinion, they ought to hurry and get that pipeline in.”
Emergency crews from several fire departments in the region and hazardous materials teams from Devils Lake and Grand Forks responded to the derailment.
In addition to HAZMAT teams from Devils Lake and Grand Forks, the state Highway Patrol and firefighters from Harvey, Fessenden, Hamburg and Devils Lake have been dispatched.
May 6, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.12newsnow.com/story/29015569/train-derails-in-cook-co-we...
Train derails in Cook Co.; weather may be to blame
COOKE COUNTY -- High winds and flooding are being blamed for causing a train to derail in Cooke County.
The train was carrying non-hazardous mixed freight when 17 BNSF cars derailed just after 1 a.m. Friday about a mile south of Valley View, towards Lake Ray Roberts Rail Marker 3993.
Two of the locomotives flipped into floodwaters.
Four BNSF employees were injured, a spokesman said. They have been taken to Denton Regional Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.
May 9, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.alaskahighwaynews.ca/business/update-highway-97-now-open...
Drive BC has indicated that Highway 97 will be blocked 4.5 kilometres south of the Pine Pass Summit in both directions until further notice.
UPDATE: Drive BC is reporting that Highway 97 is now open in both directions near Bijoux Falls Provincial Park.
Mike Carter / Alaska Highway News
May 11, 2015 12:17 AM
ORIGINAL: Eight train cars carrying sulphur derailed near Mackenzie on a railway crossing Highway 97 South at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday night, a Canadian National Rail Co. spokesperson has confirmed.
Drive BC has indicated that Highway 97 will be blocked in both directions until further notice near Bijoux Falls Provincial Park.
There were no injuries reported and the cause of the derailment is under investigation, CN said.
Pierre Boivin, senior manager of stakeholder relations with CN Rail, told the Alaska Highway News Sunday night that the eight cars involved in the derailment were all carrying sulphur.
"The cars are upright and there are no indications that there is any spill or any environmental impacts," Boivin said.
CN crews will work through the night to clear the crossing "as soon as possible," Boivin added, but he did not know how long it would take.
"At this point all we know is that Highway 97 is blocked," Boivin explained. "Our crews are en route. As soon as they arrive they are going to work to clear the crossing."
It's unclear at this time where the train originated from, or where it was headed.
As of 10:50 p.m. no detour was available, according to Drive BC.
There is no estimated time of opening.
The next update from Drive BC is scheduled for 1 a.m.
Sulphur is a byproduct of processing sour natural gas and petroleum.
May 11, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/05/12/amtrak-train-derails-ph...
Amtrak train derails in Philadelphia 5 dead, 150 injured
ASSOCIATED PRESS MAY 13, 2015
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — An Amtrak train headed to New York City crashed in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, and several people appeared to be injured.
Train 188, a Northeast Regional, had left Washington, D.C., earlier Tuesday. The front of the train was going into a turn when it shook.
An Associated Press employee, Paul Cheung, was on the train and said it appeared it went off the tracks. He said he was fortunate to be at the back of the train and the front of it ‘‘looks pretty bad.’’
Police swarming the Port Richmond area where the crash occurred are telling people to get back.
Former Congressman Patrick Murphy was on the train and said he has been helping people. He tweeted photos of firefighters helping people in the wreckage.
Amtrak hasn’t returned a call seeking comment.
Another Amtrak train crashed on Sunday. That train, bound for New Orleans, struck a flatbed truck at a railway crossing in Amite, killing the truck’s driver and injuring two people on the train.
May 13, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/train-derails-in-assam-engine-driver...
Train Derails in Assam, Engine Driver, Some Passengers Injured
GUWAHATI: The driver of Guwahati Siphung Express and some other passengers were injured after four bogies of the train got derailed on Saturday morning.
The incident took place at Basugaon in Kokrajhar district when the engine of the train was crossing a bridge.
Footage from the incident shows at least two bogies hanging precariously from the bridge, and another two piled up against each other.
The train was running at a slow speed when the derailment happened, and that is why, officials say, there are no casualties.
The train runs from Alipurduar in north Bengal to Guwahati in Assam, the main line that connects the two states. Authorities are working to restore rail traffic which has been hit because of the accident.Story First Published: May 23, 2015 08:47 IST
May 23, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/Two-Killed-Six-Injured-as-Tr...
Two Killed, Six Injured as Train Derails in UP
Published: 26th May 2015 06:02 AM
Last Updated: 26th May 2015 08:16 AM
KAUSHAMBI: At least two persons were killed and six sustained injuries on Monday when 10 bogies of Jammu-bound Muri Express derailed near Allahabad .The mishap occurred between Sirathu and Atsarai railway stations resulting in one of the bogies toppling over. An inquiry will be conducted by the Railway Safety Commissioner, to ascertain the cause of the accident. Story continues...............
May 26, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://tribune.com.pk/story/892829/mass-transport-over-100-injured-...
Mass transport: Over 100 injured as train derails near Rajanpur
A view of derailed boogies after accident of Shalimar Express train near Detha Station. PHOTO: APP
Police said on Tuesday that over 100 people had been injured when a Peshawar-bound train derailed near Rajanpur’s Umerkot area.
SP Muhammad Fazlur Rehman said Khushhal Khan Khattak Express appeared to have derailed as it was speeding and the railway track was feeble. Ruling out rumours that a remote-controlled bomb had been planted at the railway track, Rehman said there was no sign of an explosion or hole on the railway track and its vicinity. He said all bogeys of the train had derailed in the incident. Rehman said bogey eight of the train had overturned. He said police had reached the spot five minutes after the accident. Rehman said police and locals had taken the injured to a hospital in Rojhan sub-district.
DPO Zahid Mehmood has been supervising rescue efforts. Out of the 100 injured in the accident, 10 were reported to be critical. District authorities have declared an emergency across hospitals in Rajanpur in the wake of the accident.
Pakistan Railways Multan DS Shahrukh Khan told The Express Tribunethat an inquiry would be conducted to ascertain the cause of the accident. He said he was travelling to Rajanpur to take stock of the situation. Khan said it was premature to attribute a cause to the accident. The train service has been attacked seven times by terrorists in Rajanpur over the past five years.
May 27, 2015
Mark
Crews Work To Cleanup After Train Derailment
http://www.localmemphis.com/story/d/story/train-derails-in-southeas...
Seven cars derailed as they were pulling into the BNSF rail yard on Shelby Drive around 7:00 a.m. Monday.
Investigators said two of the cars partially overturned. A valve severed from one of the tankers and started leaking gasoline. Several hundred gallons have spilled out so far.
We are told the spill has been contained to the rail yard.
Crews said there is no hazard to the community.
Crews are working to clean it up and investigators are working to figure out what caused it.
Jun 2, 2015