Railroad Worker Injured After Two CSX Trains Collide and Derail in Fonda NY

June 28th, 2013 |

FONDA, NY – At least one railroad worker was reported injured after two CSX trains collided in Fonda, NY derailing several rail cars and badly damaging one of the trains. Fonda is a village in Montgomery County in central New York state about a mile from the village of Fultonville and about 46 miles northwest of Albany.

Two CSX trains collided and derailed near Fonda, NY on June 27, 2013 causing many cars to jump the tracks and sending at least one rail car across the roadway blocking vehicle traffic on State Route 5. Photo credit: Levi Pascher/The Leader-Herald.

Two CSX trains collided and derailed near Fonda, NY on June 27, 2013 causing several rail cars to jump the tracks sending at least one rail car across the roadway blocking traffic on State Route 5 and sending one injured railroad worker to the hospital. Photo: Levi Pascher/The Leader-Herald.

The accident happened on Thursday, June 28, when an eastbound train and a westbound train side-swiped each other on a section of parallel tracks. The collision derailed both trains and at least one injured railroad worker had to be taken to the hospital.

Map shows location of CSX train crash and derailment in Fonda, NY near the intersection of Martin Rd and State Route 5 on June 27, 2013.

An article at the Leader-Herald website reported on the story:

Michael Amato, the Montgomery County Sheriff, said that two conductors, an engineer and other railroad personnel were on the two trains during the accident. Amato stated that one of them was transported to a local hospital for minor injuries.

The accident caused some kind of material leakage. Hazmat personnel were dispatched to the accident site but officials later stated that there were no hazardous materials spilled.

The Mowhawk River runs alongside the tracks about 1000 feet from the derailment site.

The accident caused some interruption for Amtrak passengers, who had to be bused between Albany, Utica and Buffalo until normal service could be restored.

Officials were assessing the situation to determine the best course of action on how to go about the cleanup. Trains would have to be brought in the clear the wreckage.

Authorities were not sure how long the cleanup could take but they expected it to take several days.

The cause of the accident is not known at this time and is currently under investigation.

Blog post by Gordon, Elias & Seely, a FELA lawyer and New York railroad injury lawyer who publishes train accidents and FELA legal news from across the United States.