Train derailments

[Starr DiGiacomo]

UPDATE: 2 dead, dozens injured, after a tram derailment that hit shops in Milan, Italy. 02.27.26

Train Derailments on the Rise January 21, 2026

Planet X was described as affecting the Earth from afar, like tugging on the edge of a spider web where the effects are felt elsewhere on the web; in this way there has been an increase in earthquakes and unpredictable weather going back years, even before Planet X entered the solar system, due to the increased swirling of the Earth’s core.

It is therefore logical that an increase in train derailments would accompany any increase in seismic activity – train tracks need to be straight and even the slightest shift to the side of a section of track would cause a train to derail.

The area most affected by train derailments is the stretch zone.  Stretch zone quakes are silent, and people are generally unaware anything is happening, although signs such as booms and trumpet sounds can occur.

This zone stretches from Western Europe across the Eurasian Plate, and also includes the South-East United States, the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Red Sea and the African Rift.

In other parts of the world, shifting ground is more associated with earthquakes that people are aware of, such as the Pacific which is compressing, so authorities inspect railway tracks after any seismic activity, reducing the likelihood of accidents.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

China train 'derails in test run, one dead'

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/329861/china-train-derails-in-...

• Published: 8/01/2013 at 08:45 PM

A subway train derailed Tuesday in a test run on a new line in southwestern China, killing one driver and injuring another, state media reported.

Two women walk down the platform after alighting from a subway train in Shanghai on June 27, 2012. A subway train has derailed in a test run on a new line in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming, killing one driver and injuring another, according to state media.

The first carriage of the train ran off the tracks in the city of Kunming in Yunnan province at 9:09 am (0109 GMT), the China News Service said. There were no passengers on board.

One driver was struck by falling heating equipment in the driver's cabin and died, while another was slightly injured and taken to hospital, the report said, citing the subway's operator, state-owned Kunming Rail Transit Co.

The city government was investigating the cause of the accident, it added.

Chinese authorities have long been accused of compromising safety in their rush to develop the country's vast transport network.

Two metro trains in Shanghai collided in September 2011, injuring 284 people, just months after a deadly high-speed rail crash in the eastern city of Wenzhou killed at least 40 in China's

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Officials with CSX Transportation and other safety officials clean up the mess Monday morning, after a train derailed late Sunday evening, about half a mile north of the intersection of Cooler Road and Dothan Road.

Train derails near Bainbridge, nobody hurt

Published 8:46am Monday, January 7, 2013

Decatur County Sheriff Wiley Griffin said that a train derailed late Sunday evening in the county, but nobody was injured, no cargo was lost, and no considerable damage was done.

Griffin said that about half the cars in a 50-car train left the track Sunday at approximately 10 p.m., about half a mile from the intersection of Dothan Road and Cooler Road. Griffin said the cars were mostly empty flatbeds, were not carrying any freight, and nobody was injured.

The train, which is owned and operated by CSX Transportation, was still being removed from the tracks Monday morning, Griffin said. He said the derailed cars could be completely removed by midnight Monday.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.rgj.com/article/20130105/NEWS/130105001/20-cars-Union-Pa...

20 cars of Union Pacific grain train headed to Roseville derail near Sulfur; no injuries

6:11 PM, Jan 5, 2013 

6:09 p.m. update:

Twenty cars of a Union Pacific grain train derailed near Sulfur, Nev., on Saturday afternoon, a company spokesman said.

The derailment of the westbound, 105-car train occurred shortly after 3 p.m. about 45-50 miles west of Winnemucca, Union Pacific West region spokesman Aaron Hunt said.

The train was heading to Roseville, Calif., but where it originated and what company it was hauling grain for was unknown, Hunt said shortly before 6 p.m.

There were no injuries, Hunt said.

Hunt said that the cause of the derailment was unknown. Crews were on their way to the scene, which he said happened in a “fairly remote area.”

The train was carrying grain, he said, but the extent of any spillage was unknown. Cars can derail upright and avoid a major loss of cargo, he said.

Traffic was being rerouted on another line through Nevada, and no trains were being held up because of the derailment.

Asked about the number of cars sent off the track in a typical derailment, Hunt said the total “varies a lot,” but Union Pacific had been working to reduce derailments in general and last year spent $3.6 billion on its infrastructure, mostly on track projects.

“Our numbers have really improved,” he said. Reportable derailment rates have dropped 32 percent since 2001, he wrote in a later email.

4:51 p.m. update:

Scanner traffic indicates that about 20 train cars on the Union Pacific railroad derailed near the Humboldt-Pershing county line. However, no injuries or fires occurred.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.titusvilleherald.com/articles/2013/01/04/news/doc50e78ce...

Train Derailment Near Crawford County Leaves 5 Cars Off Track

JANUARY 4, 2013-

A train derailment sends emergency crews from Crawford and Mercer Counties into action...

The derailment happened just after 4:30 this afternoon on the Western New York and Pennsylvania railroad tracks near the town of Carlton, south of Cochranton....

    That's close to the Crawford - MercerCounty line.

    According to the Crawford County Emergency Management Agency ... Five train cars left the track...

    One of the cars was hauling isobutylene, a highly flammable gas.

    The other 4 cars were hauling non-hazardous materials.

    There was no release or spill from any of the cars and no injuries.

http://meadvilletribune.com/archive/x964864997/Local-units-respond-...

anuary 4, 2013

Local units respond to hazardous spill at train derailment

Meadville Tribune

MERCER COUNTY — At least three Crawford County emergency response units have been called to a Mercer County train derailment to help deal with a potentially hazardous spill.

Five cars of a Western New York & Pennsylvania freight train just south of the Crawford County line about 4:30 p.m., one mile north of Mercer County’s New Lebanon rail crossing. Four of the cars were said to contain non-hazardous plastics. However, one is said to contain isobutylene, an extremely flammable substance easily ignited by heat, sparks or flames capable of forming explosive mixtures with air. Vapors are initially heavier than air and spread along the ground, causing dizziness or asphyxiation without warning.

Crawford County Hazmat and Cochranton and West Mead 2 volunteer fire departments were dispatched to the scene, and members of Crawford County Office of Emergency Services were also en route.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/01/03/bc-train-derailment-2013/

Sea-to-Sky Highway closed after train derails new Whistler

THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Bonny MakarewiczOne of three CN train cars that derailed eight kilometres south of Pemberton, B.C., blocks the southbound lane of Highway 99 on Thursday.

PEMBERTON, B.C. — The Sea-to-Sky Highway between Whistler, B.C., and Pemberton was blocked for a time on Thursday by a derailment that sent one rail car tumbling off an overpass onto the road below.

The RCMP say a vehicle on the highway suffered some minor damage from flying debris but no one was hurt.

THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Bonny MakarewiczWorkers attend the scene after the derailment Thursday.

Sgt. Steve LeClair says three empty cars of a northbound CN Rail train went off the tracks about 10 kilometres south of Pemberton, with one falling from the railway overpass onto the highway.

The road was closed in both directions for a while before being opened to single lane, alternating traffic — a situation that will remain until the derailed cars can be removed.

The cause of the derailment is under investigation.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.wsiltv.com/news/local/Mt-Vernon-Train-Derailment-1852149...

Mt. Vernon Train Derailment

By WSIL Manager

Story Created: Dec 30, 2012 at 10:46 AM CST

MT. VERNON -- Crews in Mt. Vernon are handling a train derailment that happened early Sunday morning.

Mt. Vernon Police Chief Chris Mendenhall says the train derailment happened after 6:00am near Rackaway Street and Liberty Road in Mt. Vernon.
Mt. Vernon Fire was called to the scene, and has a hazmat team on the scene.
Chief Mendenhall says 8 cars were involved in the derailment, and at least one of them is believed to be carrying ethanol.
Streets in that area have been closed off, but no one in that area has been evacuated.
Mt. Vernon Fire officials were not immediately available for comment.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Mudslide derails train south of Everett

EVERETT — A mudslide just south of Everett derailed a Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight train Monday afternoon.

The slide came off a large slope and hit 66-car train at about 1:30 p.m., BNSF Spokesperson Gus Melonas said. The slide was at least 75-feet long and forced 11 cars on their side. Some of the cars split open on impact, Melonas said.

Officials said it was the same area of track where a slide closed routes earlier in the day. The trains carried many different types of items, Melonas said, including disinfectant chemicals. A Haz-Mat team responded to the incident, but discovered no threat to public health.

Melonas said the tracks will remain closed for freight through a good portion of the week. Amtrak and Sound Transit Sounder trains will not run until late Wednesday at the earliest.

BNSF operates more than 1,000 feight trains every day on more than 32,000 miles of track across the United States.

http://q13fox.com/2012/12/17/mudslide-derails-train-south-of-everett/

Posted here also: http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/mudslides-explode-across-p...

[Alice M. Haney]

Hi Folks,

I used to live just noth of there and was interested to note the earthquake on:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_al...

It is my opinion the tracks moved during the quake.

MAP

2.6

2012/12/13 02:10:24

32.548

-97.276

13.1

NORTHERN TEXAs

[Starr DiGiacomo]

http://www.dentonrc.com/local-news/local-news-headlines/20121213-tr...

Train derails near Krum

Several cars from a BNSF Railway freight train derailed near Rector Rd and FM 156 in Sanger, Thursday, December 13, 2012, in Sanger, TX. 

No injuries reported; investigation under way

By Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe / Staff Writer

Published: 13 December 2012 03:21 PM

One crew offloaded boxes of M&M’s candies as another crew began clearing the track after the last two cars of a southbound BNSF Railway train derailed north of Krum at about 1:15 p.m. Thursday.

Krum firefighters responded to reports that refrigerant may have been leaking from one of the cars. No injuries were reported.

Firefighters found no spill or other hazardous materials, according to Capt. Brad Sebastian.

From the scene, it appeared that a worker may have thrown a switch early where the tracks go from one line to two, Sebastian said.

“The last two cars went to the left side while the rest of the train was on the right side,” Sebastian said. “It [the train] carried them slowly down the line until the curve and then it yanked right off.”

One car was overturned. The other car, while derailed, was still upright when firefighters arrived, he said.

Joe Faust, spokesman for BNSF, said the cause of the accident remains under investigation. The company had a team on scene to assess the situation.

“We don’t have an estimated time when the track will be reopened,” Faust said.

The company was already working on a plan to reroute some of its train traffic that would be affected by the line’s closure.

This is the second time this year a train has derailed near Krum.

On July 22, seven cars of a 37-car freight train heading southbound from Tulsa, Okla., to Fort Worth derailed near Krum Jackson Cemetery. That derailment damaged trees, but no injuries were reported.

Those cars were carrying sand.

[Starr DiGiacomo]

Train plunges into Amanzimtoti River, while six die in Mpumalanga bridge collapse (South Africa)

http://www.bdlive.co.za/national/2012/12/11/train-plunges-into-aman...

by Staff writer, December 11 2012, 15:59

DERAILED: The goods train lies partly submerged in the Amanzimtoti River on Tuesday morning. Picture: NETCARE 911

FOUR people were injured on Tuesday when a goods train carrying timber plunged into the Amanzimtoti River near Durban, KwaZulu-Natal emergency services said.

“The raging river has eroded the sand from under the train tracks, causing the train to plunge several metres into the torrential waters,” Netcare 911 spokesman Chris Botha said.

Paramedics arrived at the scene to find the four train staff members severely traumatised, cold and wet. “After they were stabilised on scene, medics transported them to the Netcare Kingsway hospital,” Mr Botha said.

Barry Gonin, director at forecast service Weather Intelligence Systems, said the heavy rainfall in KwaZulu-Natal had led to rising water levels, which caused the accident.

“Rivers were swelling but I am not sure if they passed their threshold. It was not rainfall directly that caused the accident but it was a contributing factor over a period of time,” he said.

Weather Intelligence Systems alerts Transnet Freight Rail of weather hazards so that it can slow down trains or repair tracks. However, the railway at the Amanzimtoti River was not a Transnet-owned track but was rented, limiting its capacity to intervene.

The Railway Safety Regulator has sent inspectors to the site of the incident. It said two locomotives and one wagon had derailed.

Meanwhile, 14 people died when a bridge on the R65 between Ermelo and Lothair collapsed in heavy rain on Monday night just before 9pm, the Mpumalanga department of community safety said.

“We have 14 people killed. The bridge was swept away and four cars just plunged into the water,” provincial safety spokesman Joseph Mabuza said.

The bridge was over a dry river bed but flash floods fill it with water when it rains heavily, Mr Mabuza said. He added that divers had completed their search as all missing people had been accounted for.

Weather warning

KwaZulu-Natal was on Tuesday still under a warning from the South African Weather Service for heavy rainfall and severe thunderstorms, especially in the western parts of the province.

Severe weather continued to cause damage elsewhere in the province too.

Late on Monday, the homes of more than 300 people in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, which was hit by a massive hailstorm on Sunday, sustained further damage when a new storm moved into the area, a nongovernmental organisation said.

“It has been raining hard.... The plastic sheeting we provided to affected residents to seal their roofs has been blown away,” Al-Imdaad Foundation project co-ordinator Abed Karrim said. “The houses are being flooded. People are in a state of shock at the damage the storm is causing.”

Sunday night’s hailstorm, reportedly with “fist-sized” hail stones, tore through Ladysmith and surrounding areas such as Acaciavale, Ntombi’s Camp and Steadville.

The Al-Imdaad Foundation was distributing blankets and mattresses, and providing hot meals to those affected by the storms.

Earlier, co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC Nomusa Dube said KwaZulu-Natal would need millions of rand to help those affected by hailstorms.

Ms Dube led a disaster management team to provide assistance to those left homeless on Monday.

“This was indeed an intense storm judging by the severity of damages,” she said. “We need everyone in the spirit of ubuntu to make a contribution ... it is time for humanity to unite.”

Bransby Bulo, a forecaster at the South African Weather Service, said on Tuesday morning that while conditions were rainy in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, improvements could be expected later in the week.

“Durban had 66mm of rain this morning and further south in Paddock was 120mm of rain,” he said. “We are expecting conditions to improve from today although it’s still cloudy, down from an 80% chance to a 60% chance of rain.

“In Mpumalanga it’s also cloudy at the moment with an 80% chance of showers and thundershowers later today. We are expecting an improvement from tonight.”