Train derailments

[Starr DiGiacomo]

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.omaha.com/article/20111202/NEWS01/111209935/0

U.P. train derails
« Metro/Region

A Union Pacific train derailed Friday morning near downtown Omaha.

The derailment occurred about 9 a.m. at U.P.'s rail yard in north Omaha, near 11th and Grace.

U.P. officials said Friday that nobody was injured.

A cause for the accident had not been determined by late Friday morning.

The derailment did not disrupt vehicle traffic in the area.

The derailment involved two locomotives and four rail cars. One of the rail cars was empty and the other three were hopper cars, which carry grain.

Because the derailment took place in the rail yard, it occurred at slow speed and there was only minimal track damage.

U.P. said heavy equipment was on the way to get the locomotives back on the rails

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-freight-train...

Freight train derailment blocks Metra's Heritage line Photo: Freight train derailment blocks Metra's Heritage line Freight train derails Photo: Freight train derails

A freight train derailed on a viaduct at 47th Street and Archer Avenue this morning, delaying Metra trains on the Heritage Corridor line and blocking traffic in the area.

WGN-TV video showed about a half dozen derailed freight cars, with one car leaning over the overpass. The leaning car bore the markings of the intermodal transportation company J.B. Hunt.

The cars are carrying office supplies, a Chicago Fire Department spokesman said. He added that the intersection would be closed at least until 9 a.m. A crane will have to upright the derailed cars, he said.

Amy McBeth, a spokeswoman for BNSF Railway Co., said the train was departing the company's Corwith Yard to the north when a stacked car derailed on the Archer Avenue bridge.

The cause of the derailment, which occurred about 6:40 a.m., is under investigation, she said. There were no reported injuries, she said.

The fire department and Chicago Police department were both at the scene.

Joliet-to-Chicago train No. 914 on the Heritage Corridor line, scheduled to arrive in Chicago at 6:50 a.m.,was stopped, blocked by the derailment, according to a service advisory posted on Metra’s website. Metra said the train is running 37 minutes late.

Train #914 is the first of three trains that departs Joliet each morning for Chicago along the Heritage Corridor.

The CTA rerouted its No. 62 Archer buses both directions via 47th, Lawndale, 51st, Kedzie, and 47th, due to street blockage.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dr-gridlock/post/csx-train-dera...

CSX train derails in Hyattsville

A CSX train derailed in Prince George's County on Tuesday after hitting a "safety derailer." (Mark Brady) A CSX freight train derailed around 2:42 p.m. in the 2900 block of 52nd Avenue in an industrial park in Hyattsville, according to Prince George’s authorities.

There were no reported injuries, officials said.

Fire department spokesman Mark Brady said the locomotive “hit a derailer on a side track, which triggered an intentional derailment and resulting in “a small diesel fuel spill.” Such derailers are installed as safety devices. The train was headed for a main track at the time, Brady said. It was unclear if the train was being operated remotely.

Brady said fire department hazardous material crews assisted CSX with the clean-up. Bob Sullivan, a CSX spokesman, said the fuel spill had “all been contained.”

The incident did not cause any evacuations or disruptions to commuter rail and vehicle traffic, officials said.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

More of the blame game

http://www.clickliverpool.com/news/local-news/1214846-vandals-blame...

Vandals blamed as Liverpool region train is derailed

by Nick Webster. Published Tue 29 Nov 2011 13:11

A Merseyrail train like the one that was derailed

Police are hunting vandals who are being blamed for de-railing a Liverpool region train.

British Transport Police detectives believe ballast from the track bed was deliberately moved in order to cause the Merseyrail train to come off the track at Rock Ferry station.

The incident happened in the early hours of the morning on Monday 28th November) as the 00.11 Ellesmere Port to Rock Ferry service pulled out of the station.

There were no passengers on the train at the time of the derailment.

BTP say that early investigative work suggests vandals placed ballast into the workings of the tracks to cause an obstruction.

Det Chief Insp Malcolm McKinnon said: "This was an extremely dangerous and foolish act.

"Fortunately no one was injured in this incident, but there was a real risk of injury to people using the railway or to the offenders themselves as this is a line with third rail electrification.

"We need to trace those responsible and I am calling on the public to help."

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Train derails in Chascomús

A train carrying more than 100 passengers that was coming from Mar del Plata City to Constitución train station in Buenos Aires City derailed near Chascomús city in Buenos Aires province.

According to the police, the train had to arrive in Plaza Constitución at 7:40pm, but derailed at 6pm.

The police could not define yet the reasons why the derailment occurred, but stated that no one was injured.

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/85905/train-derails-in-cha...

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Two locos of freight train derailed on K-K Line

PTI | 05:11 PM,Nov 27,2011

Visakhapatnam (AP), Nov 27 (PTI) Rail traffic between Visakhaptnam railway station in Andhra Pradesh and Kirandul railway station in Chhattisgarh was disrupted following derailment of two locos of a goods train in wee hours today due to suspected sabotage by Maoists, official sources said. The incident occurred due to removal of fish plates, allegedly by suspected ultras on K-K Line (Kothavalasa-Kirandul Line) under the Waltair Line of the East Coast Railway, they said. According to sources, the role of naxals is suspected owing to the encounter of prominent Maoist leader Molajula Koteswar Rao, alias Kishenji, who was killed in a gunfight with security forces at Burisole jungle in West Midnapore district of West Bengal on November 24. Kishenji was cremated at his native Peddapalli in Karimnagar district of Andhra Pradesh. Top railway officials, including Additional Divisional Railway Manager P Madhusudhanra Rao, visited the spot to supervise the track restoration works. The rail services on the route are likely to be resumed by the evening, sources added. PTI CORR NSK

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/two-locos-of-freight-tra...

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http://www.bordermail.com.au/news/local/news/general/vline-off-the-...

V/Line off the rails

28 Nov, 2011 01:00 AM

A V/LINE train bound for the Border derailed in Melbourne on Saturday night, leaving disoriented passengers in smoke-filled carriages.

The 135 passengers had to clamber down a ladder from the carriages.

An investigation is under way as to how the 6.01pm return train to Albury left the tracks only 10 metres from West Footscray station.

The line was closed yesterday until late afternoon to fix the track and clear the derailed carriages, with last night’s 6.01pm service to Albury expected to operate under speed restrictions.

It comes just three months after an interstate XPT train derailed on the Melbourne suburban network.

A mudhole was blamed for that 150-passenger train derailing near Coolaroo, about 20 kilometres from Southern Cross station.

Now one train down, V/Line has cancelled today’s 6.35am service from Albury to Southern Cross and the 12pm service from Southern Cross to Albury.

V/Line spokeswoman Clare Steele said although the train was travelling about 60km/h when it derailed, no one was injured.

“There was no injuries to staff or passengers but they would have felt a jolt,” she said.

“Passengers would have been about an hour late home, which we apologise for.”

Passenger Lyn McErvale, of Yarrawonga, said the jolting and the swaying of the derailed carriages, and the smoke, left some passengers in shock.

She said passengers had to walk up a slippery embankment to get to buses.

The Australian Rail Track Corporation’s Brian Dale said an investigation would be carried out by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

He said the derailment had chopped up some of the track, which had been repaired by yesterday afternoon.

“Our job is to get the track back running as fast as possible and we are working with V/Line to recommence the passenger services,” he said.

Passengers use a ladder top climb down from the derailed train, then climb the embankment.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/chennai/northeast-mo...

Northeast monsoon hits normal life

• November 27, 2011

Railway officials remove a huge tree that fell on the railway track at Perungulathur in Chennai. Suburban train services were affected for nearly an hour - DC

Life was thrown out of gear in most parts of Tamil Nadu as the rain battered the state, particularly in coastal districts like Cuddalore, Villupuram and Chennai besides parts of interior Perambalur.

However, the intensity of rainfall is expected to decrease gradually in the northern districts from Sunday evening and a couple of days later in south TN.

According to the regional meteorological department, a sharp rise in the rainfall level was witnessed with the state receiving 5.5 cm rainfall overall, which is around 1,200 times more than the day’s (Saturday) average.

Even the cumulative total of the state was 23 per cent more than average rainfall for the northeast monsoon season, which starts from October first week.

Deputy director of regional met department, Mr Y.E.A. Raj told Deccan Chronicle said that large number of weather stations recorded around 12.5 cm rainfall.

Clear sky could be expected by Sunday evening or Monday morning. However, the southern districts will continue to receive sharp spells of rain and gradually ease around November 30 as the depression off the coast of Thiruvanthapuram is expected to move northwest, affecting the islands on Arabian sea, Mr Raj pointed out.

Areas like Mangadu, Ka-rayanchavadi and Porur besides low-lying areas in the city were worst hit with residents complaining about heavy flooding and inundation.

Besides flooding, the sharp spell of rains uprooted several trees like a huge tamarind tree on the highway that fell across the rail tracks at Perungulathur, leaving EMU movement on Tambaram-Chengalpet stretch affected for over an hour.

Vehicle movement was also deeply affected with the commuters moving in snail’s pace due to wat-erlogged and damaged roads.

Likewise, derailment of an engine at Villupuram plus the heavy downpour delayed all Chennai bound trains by over couple of hours this morning. Likewise, in the delta region, the paddy fields were inundated, leaving farmers high and dry.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.skynews.com.au/local/article.aspx?id=689188&vId=

Freight train derails on NSW south coast

Updated: 07:54, Friday November 25, 2011

A freight train has derailed on the NSW south coast causing train services to be cancelled between Thirroul and Waterfall.

A number of cars of the coal train derailed, spilling coal onto the tracks in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Buses are replacing trains between Thirroul and Waterfall.

Regular trains are operating between Waterfall and Sydney with minor delays expected on the Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra Line.

These arrangements will remain in place until the site is cleared, which isn't expected to happen before Monday morning.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.theleader.com.au/news/local/news/general/freight-train-d...

Freight train derailment halts South Coast trains

24 Nov, 2011 09:31 AM

South Coast train services are expected to be suspended in both directions due to the derailment of a private freight train at Coalcliff.

Buses are running commuters between Thirroul and Waterfall with connecting trains to Sydney.

It reported that five freight cars derailed about 11pm last night, spilling coal onto the tracks.

Services are not expected to return to normal for at least two days.