FELA Lawyer News Blog

Archive for the ‘Train Derailments’ Category

CHATTANOOGA, TN – The Federal Railroad Administration is investigating the May 23 CSX train derailment in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which happened at about 4:30 p.m. near the 3200 block of Broad Street. Officials may also be looking at the steadily rising number of accidents in the area.

Workers inspect overturned rail cars after a CSX train derailed on the tracks that cross Broad St. No injuries were reported in the mishap. Photo credit: Jake Daniels/Chattanooga Times Free Press

The CSX derailment was at least the third this year in Chattanooga. A fourth derailment happened in 2010 in Rossville, GA and just this last Thursday morning, May 29, 2010 in Apison, Tennessee, also in Hamilton County, a train and car collided at a rail crossing at Sanabel Lane near Apison Pike. ... Read More

CHATTANOOGA, TN – A CSX train derailed in downtown Chattanooga, TN on Sunday afternoon, May 23, 2010 at around 4:30 p.m. The derailment involved 28 cars which jumped the tracks near the 3200 block of Broad Street and St. Elmo Ave. near the old Wheland Foundry site.

Twisted pile of rail cars near the 3200 block of Broad Street in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee. Photo credit: Bruce Garner, Chattanooga Fire Dept.

Chattanooga is located in the southeastern part of the state near its southern border with Alabama and Georgia. It is about 133 miles southeast of Nashville and about 316 miles east of Memphis. ... Read More

ENID, OK — A train belonging to Farm Rail Company derailed on the BNSF railway closing three intersections this morning in Enid, OK. The incident occurred at about 10:20 a.m.involving three cars that derailed along Johnson Avenue, closing the crossings at Broadway, Elm and Randolph avenues.

The rail cars were cleared from BNSF Railway tracks and three crossings were reopened about 2:40 p.m. today, police Lt. Eric Holtzclaw said. ... Read More

FLORENCE, SC – Two CSX train cars derailed on Friday afternoon, May 21, 2010 in a Florence rail yard causing the closing of several crossings in Florence. According to SCnow.com CSX employees were working to re-rail two train cars on Friday afternoon.

CSX employees work to place two train cars back on the tracks after a derail at the CSX train yard, May 21, 2010. Marcus Scott/Morning News

The train was traveling from Charleston, S.C. to Hamlet N.C. It was not carrying any hazardous or dangerous materials, said Gary Sease CSX director of corporate communications. ... Read More

MEBANE, NC – A fiery truck-train collision occurred in Mebane, North Carolina on Thursday, May 13, 2010 when an Amtrak commuter train collided with a semi truck, injuring thirteen and shutting down service between Charlotte and Raleigh for most of the day. The train-truck accident occurred in Alamance County at the 5th Street crossing in Mebane, NC. The accident area is in the north central section of the state, 112 miles northwest of Fayetteville, NC and 42 miles south of Danville, Virginia.

Shortly after 8:00 a.m. Thursday morning Barry C. Lazaro of Wake Forest, NC was driving a semi flatbed trailer truck on 5th Street in downtown Mebane, NC, carrying a backhoe on the flatbed section of the rig. The trailer truck is owned by Lazaro Contracting, Inc., based in Raleigh. ... Read More

THERMOPOLIS, WY – According to railroad officials, a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) train derailed on May 12, 2010 around 12:30 p.m. The derailment occurred along a 50-foot embankment alongside the Wind River about five miles south of Thermopolis at the north end of the Wind River Canyon.

One BNSF locomotive lies partly in the river while another lies on its side halfway down the embankment of the Wind River after the derailment on May 12, 2010 just south of Thermopolis, WY.

According to BNSF spokesman, Gus Melonas, the train originated in Laurel, MT. It was destined for Denver, CO when the derailment occurred. ... Read More

MARSHALL, TX – A Union Pacific train derailed on Monday afternoon, May 3, 2010, in Marshall, Texas. The accident occurred at approximately 1:20 pm in the downtown rail-yard where the Marshall Depot is located, missing the historic Marshall Depot by about 10 feet. The depot is also where the railroad museum and Amtrak station is located.

The Marshall Fire Department reported on the day of the accident that about 14 train cars derailed, and about half were still on their sides. ... Read More

Union Pacific Railroad

OMAHA, NE -  An agreement was struck between the Federal government and the Union Pacific railroad over a 2004 train derailment near San Antonio, Texas in Southwest Bexar County.

The company agreed to pay $581,855 to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for that agency’s response to the incident that released 60 tons of chlorine gas.

The deal was formalized in a lawsuit the Justice Department filed on Friday, April 2, 2010.

On June 28, 2004, a 123-car Burlington Northern-Santa Fe (BNSF) train was struck from behind by a 74-car Union Pacific (UP) train in Macdona, southwest of San Antonio. Chlorine gas spread to nearby homes from a punctured tank car on the UP train.

In the incident, the UP freight train was traveling westbound about 45 mph when it struck the side of a freight car of an eastbound BNSF Company train.  ... Read More

Melbern, Ohio – On April 19, 2010 a Norfolk Southern freight train of about 37 cars derailed Monday morning at 9:22 a.m. in Melbern, Ohio. Melbern is just east of Edgerton and about four miles west of Bryan, Ohio.

The derailment of 37 Northfolk Southern rail cars occurred in two different locations.

The derailment started with about 25 cars deep in an 89-car train bound from Chicago to Roanoke, VA., railroad spokesman Rudy Husband said. There were no reported fires from the derailed cars which carried flammable methanol. ... Read More

SWEDEBORG, MO — On April 6, 2010, a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train derailed around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, forcing the evacuation of Pulaski County elementary school children. The train derailment occurred in Swedeborg near the intersection of Highway T and Missouri Route 133.

Troop I of the Missouri Highway Patrol reported that 15 cars were off the tracks and that 8 of those were on their sides. ... Read More