Rochester & Southern Train Carrying Rock Salt Derails in Wheatland NY

June 7th, 2013 |

WHEATLAND, NY – Several cars of a Rochester & Southern train derailed in Wheatland, NY on June 3, 2013 spilling tons of road salt only a few hundred yards from Oatka Creek. Wheatland is located in Monroe County, NY in the northern central part of the state about 99 miles west of Syracuse. Monroe County borders Lake Ontario on the Canadian border.

A Genesee & Wyoming train that was hauling road salt derailed in Wheatland, NY on June 3, 2013. Photo credit: YNN.com

The derailment happened around 9:15 p.m. in the evening of June 3 just east of the rail crossing at Wheatland Center Rd near Stewart Rd.

Map shows location of a Rochester & Southern train derailment just east of Wheatland Center Rd near Stewart Rd, about 300 to 400 yards from Oatka Creek in Wheatland, NY on June 3, 2013.

The eastbound 69-car train was hauling rock salt that had been quarried in Livingston County which borders Monroe County to the south. The salt was coming from the American Rock Salt mine in Groveland, NY, about 20 miles south of the derailment site.

Twenty hopper cars carrying salt left the tracks. According to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation between 5 and 10 tons of salt was spilled from five of the derailed cars. This was a small amount, considering that each hopper holds 80 to 100 tons of salt.

Bearing in mind that the derailment site was close to Oatka Creek, a spokesperson from the agency said that there was no significant environmental concern.

The Rochester & Southern Railroad is a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc., which is based in Greenwich, CT.

No injuries to any railroad workers were reported at the time of the incident.

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.