...spilled! This time in Alabama, on another 'short line'! Yep... Canadian crude shipped all the way by rail, only ta slosh out into a beaver dam. Boy oh boy, that'll piss off the, flat-tails for sure!
Crude oil tank cars ablaze after train derails in Alabama
By Verna Gates and Edward McAllister
ALICEVILLE, AlabamaFri Nov 8, 2013 9:09pm EST
(Reuters) - Several oil tank cars that burst into flames after a train derailed in rural Alabama were expected to keep burning into Saturday, potentially reigniting the push for tougher regulation of the boom in moving oil by rail.
Twenty-five of the train's 90 cars derailed near a 60-foot-long wooden trestle in the early hours of Friday morning, and a number were still on fire 18 hours later, operator Genesee & Wyoming Inc said. They were sending flames hundreds of feet high that could be seen from over 10 miles away.
No injuries were reported, but an unknown amount of crude oil spilled into an adjacent marshland, Genesee said. State officials said the oil had been contained, partly thanks to a nearby beaver dam that had already slowed the flow of water. The cause of the incident is under investigation.
A local official said the crude oil had originated in North Dakota, home of the booming Bakken shale patch. If so, it may have been carrying the same type of light crude oil that was on a Canadian train that derailed in the Quebec town of Lac-Megantic this summer, killing 47 people.
That incident, which the operator Montreal Maine & Atlantic blamed on a train engineer for not braking sufficiently on an incline, fueled a drive for tougher standards for oil rail shipments. Proposed measures included better testing of potentially explosive ultra-light shale crude and improved rail tank car standards. Tank cars made before 2011 have been cited by regulators as dangerously prone to puncture.
Genesee said the train was hauling 90 DOT-108 tank cars, a different model than the DOT-111s that have been cited before.
Each carried 30,000 gallons (114,000 liters) of crude, or 64,000 barrels in all, Genesee said.
It was not clear what caused Friday's accident in Pickens County, Alabama, or how old the tank cars were. The train was being driven by two engineers, both unharmed, officials said.
Nearly 18 hours after the derailment, officials had not yet been able to investigate the scene, leaving few guesses as to what may have caused one of the most dramatic oil-train incidents in the United States since shipments of crude by rail began to surge with the rise of shale oil three years ago.
"All the evidence we need to figure out what happened is underneath the wreckage," said Bill Jasper, president of the Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway. Repairs to the line are expected to take about a week, the railway said.
Genesee said data recorders showed the train was going slower than the 40 mile-per-hour (64 km-per-hour) limit, and the track had just been inspected on Monday.
Traders said they feared that tougher regulations could drive up costs for shipping U.S. crude by rail, reducing its competitiveness. Such speculation weakened U.S. crude oil futures relative to London's benchmark Brent, which already trades at a premium to the price in New York.
"It will provide very clear evidence of the potential risks for environmental groups and others opposed to the growth of crude by rail, and will likely increase pressure to tighten regulations," said Elena McGovern, Global Energy and Natural Resources analyst at Eurasia Group in Washington.
BOUND FOR FLORIDA
The train was carrying crude from Amory, Mississippi, to a terminal in Walnut Hill, Florida, that is owned by Genesis Energy, the company's chief financial officer Bob Deere said. It was to be pumped into a regional pipeline and delivered to an 80,000 barrel-per-day Shell Chemicals plant near Mobile, Alabama, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Deere said Genesis was still able to receive rail shipments, and deliveries were being rerouted around the affected area.
The accident happened in a wetlands area that eventually feeds into the Tombigbee River, according to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. Booms were placed in the wetlands to contain the spilled oil.
Don Hartley, regional coordinator for the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, said the tank cars originated in North Dakota. Three cars had a "'bleve' - where pressure builds up and blows a hole." That started the fire, he said.
Alabama Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Yasamie August said that one family was evacuated due to the incident but had already been able to return home.
"We don't have a cause yet, that will be determined with the investigation," said a Genesee & Wyoming spokesman.
The company said it had notified the National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Railroad Administration and National Crisis Response Center as is standard procedure.
FOCUS ON TANK CARS
Rapid proliferation of oil-by-train shipments started more than three years ago to get oil to markets as pipeline infrastructure lagged booming production in remote places such as North Dakota, as well as Canada's oil sands.
The East and West coasts in particular turned to rail to draw cheaper U.S. and Canadian crude. With no major oil pipelines in operation, or even planned, rail allowed them to tap into the burgeoning shale plays in North Dakota and Texas.
In the third quarter, crude-by-rail shipments rose 44 percent from the previous year to 93,312 carloads, equivalent to about 740,000 barrels per day (bpd) or almost one-tenth of U.S. production. That was down 14 percent from the second quarter due to narrower oil spreads that made costlier rail shipments less economic.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has issued safety guidelines on the widely used, cylindrical tank cars known as DOT-111s, including a recommendation that all tank cars used to carry ethanol and crude oil be reinforced to make them more resistant to punctures if trains derail.
The new guidelines, put forward in March 2012 but which have not yet been adopted by the Department of Transportation agency that oversees the sector, stem from a deadly ethanol train derailment and explosion in Illinois in 2009.
DOT-111 railcars ordered after October 2011 have been manufactured to the new code, but the industry has resisted spending an estimated $1 billion to retrofit nearly 300,000 existing tank cars.
In Demopolis, Alabama, some 40 miles south of the site of the accident, where the rail line runs 300 meters away from the U.S. Jones Elementary School, Mayor Michael Grayson said there hadn't been an accident in the area in a century of train traffic.
But since last summer, when the oil trains first began humming past, officials discussed what might happen if a bridge just outside of town collapsed, dumping crude into the river.
"Sadly, with this thing, the only thing you can do is try to be prepared," he said by phone.
The Krink said
10:14 AM, 11/09/13
MIR
Calvin said
3:05 PM, 11/09/13
Uke wrote:
In Demopolis, Alabama, some 40 miles south of the site of the accident, where the rail line runs 300 meters away from the U.S. Jones Elementary School, Mayor Michael Grayson said there hadn't been an accident in the area in a century of train traffic.
But since last summer, when the oil trains first began humming past, officials discussed what might happen if a bridge just outside of town collapsed, dumping crude into the river.
"Sadly, with this thing, the only thing you can do is try to be prepared," he said by phone.
He's either a pimply faced kid who hasn't bothered to check his statement out by looking at past newspaper clips at the library,
or he's a typical drunken wanna be Legislator whose time has passed by.
I have pictures of a pretty good wreck on the FRISCO back in the winter of '79 - '80 between Boligee and Demopolis, and fire was involved.
From the swampy looks of the area and condition of the track back then..(I'm sure BN didn't spend any money on it before they let States Rail, then Rail America
and now finally G&W take over control) I doubt much has changed since the AGR leased it out.
Yea, every now and then ya hear rumblings that BNSF has come back to their senses and is going to take it back, I'll believe it when I see it,
especially now that this crude oil incident has happened.
Our old buddy Wolfram, where ever he disappeared to, could probably fill us in more about this situation.
I think he was one of the old Frisco guys who stayed to work on the AGR.
Calvin said
4:20 PM, 11/09/13
ALICEVILLE - AL -
UPDATE: Pickens Co. EMA Director Ken Gibson says they speculate that the fire started when the train cars hit each other during the derailment. Several agencies are investigating now, including NTSB, National Railroad Commission and the train owner Alabama Gulf Coast Railroad Systems.
The company has brought in large equipment to begin the clean up process. Although it's expected to take several days. We're told the area of the derailment is in a tough place to navigate. Because of the remoteness of the crash site, the 12 burning cars will burn out, instead of trying to have firefighter put them out.
Some of the crude oil that the train cars were carrying did leak into the slough. However, it's still unknown if the oil made it into the nearby creeks.
----------
UPDATE: The Alabama EMA is reporting more details now. They confirm 12 train cars derailed, nine were damaged and three exploded. Still no injuries reported thus far.
----------
UPDATE: The Haz Mat team has moved other cars away from the burning ones, and they have contained any oil that is leaking from the crash.
----------
UPDATE: Tuscaloosa Fire Department's Haz Mat team is on the scene of the train fire. Pickensville firefighter Brian McCrary says they are going to try to disconnect the train cars from the area on fire. A helicopter is providing an aerial view of the extent of the damage.
Right now, it's unclear if the train actually derailed. However, at least five or six rail cars on fire as well as the train trestle near the Vianna Boat Landing, according to McCrary. He tells us the train was carrying crude oil. There have been at least two explosions.
----------
There are several reports of a train derailment this morning in Pickens County.
Callers have told ABC 33/40 there have been multiple explosions at the crash site, just outside of Aliceville.
We have a crew on the way and will bring you more details as soon as possible.
Terms of Use: We welcome your participation in our community. Notify us of any inappropriate comments by clicking the "Flag" link. You must be at least 13 years of age to post comments. By submitting a comment, you agree to these Terms of Service.
I'm guessing the price of gasoline will go up about 50 cents a gallon overnight now........... As Obama says "Never let a crisis go to waste" - milk it for all ya got.
Why is it "unclear if the train actually derailed"? There are cars perpendicular to the tracks and some on top of others. Derailment seems obvious to me.
Justina 21 hours ago
+6
Calvin said
4:28 PM, 11/09/13
Preliminary reports on the maintenance logs were pulled on the BNSF 5056, last entry was EnterBay wheel repair Seattle Washington.
That tank looks like it failed rite on a weld. (could be purposefully designed that way.)
FMB said
6:07 PM, 11/09/13
Calvin wrote:
Preliminary reports on the maintenance logs were pulled on the BNSF 5056, last entry was EnterBay wheel repair Seattle Washington.
That tank looks like it failed rite on a weld. (could be purposefully designed that way.)
LAMO......
Uke said
8:36 PM, 11/09/13
A little update ta our story...
The info has been published/posted by Gennesee & Wyoming Railway, Inc., parent co. of Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway LLC.
Information on derailment near Aliceville, Alabama
UPDATE as of 5 P.M. ET Nov. 8
The railroad is appreciative of the efforts of local emergency response personnel.
The derailment occurred in the vicinity of a 60-foot-long, 10-foot-high wooden trestle, the site of which is beneath the derailed cars. The cause of the derailment will be determined following completion of a comprehensive investigation.
The train consisted of three locomotives, two required buffer cars, and 90 T-108 tank cars, each of which contained approximately 30,000 gallons of crude oil. It is believed that approximately 25 tank cars derailed in the incident. The fire has been contained, although several of the tank cars are expected to continue to burn off their contents through tomorrow. The cars that did not derail will be taken north approximately five miles on the railroad to storage. This operation is expected to begin shortly.
The locomotive data recorders indicate that the train was traveling below the posted track speed of 40 mph. No issues have been found with the performance of the trains two-man crew. Federal regulations require that the track be inspected weekly, and the track was last inspected on Monday, November 4, 2013. The most recent train to traverse this section of track was approximately 2.5 hours prior to the derailment.
An unknown quantity of crude oil has entered the adjacent marshland; however, containment has been placed upstream and downstream from the derailment. It is expected that the recapture of the crude oil from the water will begin tomorrow. The railroad takes full responsibility for this cleanup, which will continue until the site is remediated. Hazmat contractors experienced in crude oil cleanup are on location. Air monitoring in the vicinity of the derailment is ongoing.
The railroad has been working cooperatively with the Federal Railroad Administration and local Environmental Protection Agency officials that have visited the site.
A derailment contractor will begin removing the damaged cars as soon as it is safe to do so; this work is expected to begin tomorrow afternoon. Options to replace the destroyed trestle span are being evaluated, and repair work is estimated to take approximately seven days.
Reroutes of rail traffic are being established with other railroads to minimize the impact on customers while the rail line is out of service.
Further updates will be posted to this page as the cleanup effort progresses.
====
UPDATE as of 7:30 A.M. ET Nov. 8
No injuries have been reported.
It is believed that 11 railcars are burning, and for safety reasons, emergency responders have elected to let them burn out. A preliminary estimate is that burn-off could take 24 hours.
It appears that a total of 20 railcars (of 90 in the train) and two of the three locomotives are derailed. Both derailed locomotives are upright and parallel to the track.
The derailment occurred near a timber trestle, which is also burning. According to emergency responders, the fire appears to be contained, and there is no indication that oil is flowing into any waterway.
Railroad senior management is on site and en route. The railroad immediately deployed hazardous materials response companies to the site. The National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Railroad Administration and National Crisis Response Center were notified per standard operating procedure. A derailment-cleanup contractor is on standby to begin work as soon as it is safe to do so.
====
4:30 A.M. ET Nov. 8
A 90-car train carrying crude oil derailed shortly before 1 a.m. ET November 8, 2013, near Aliceville, Alabama, on the Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway LLC.
There are no injuries, and preliminary reports are that no evacuations were necessary.
Authorities have been notified, and local first-responders are on the scene. The derailment site is in a rural area and difficult to access, but a preliminary report is that four railcars are burning.
The train was en route from Amory, Mississippi, to Walnut Hill, Florida, with three locomotives and 90 railcars.
The cause of the derailment is not yet known.
A further statement will be posted here when more information is available.
Michael E. Williams Director, Corporate Communications Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, Inc. a Genesee & Wyoming Company 20 West Avenue Darien, CT 06820 Tel: (203) 202-8916
-- Edited by Uke on Saturday 9th of November 2013 09:30:10 PM
FMB said
4:53 AM, 11/10/13
Uke wrote:
No issues have been found with the performance of the trains two-man crew.
Michael E. Williams Director, Corporate Communications Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, Inc. a Genesee & Wyoming Company 20 West Avenue Darien, CT 06820 Tel: (203) 202-8916
No way that outfit is a real railroad.....
Snippy said
5:18 AM, 11/10/13
You're right.
The Krink said
10:41 AM, 11/10/13
MIR has ended as of 1:12PM PST Sunday so you railroad people
will get back to normal soon. I really did hate working on the RR
when MIR. Sleepless in so many ways. Delays, interruptions,
weird events, and if you did fuck-up during this time period, you
may try the "MIR" defense. I think it gaining some recognition.
Freddie Krueger said
5:16 PM, 11/10/13
I had an oil train yesterday with the BNSF 1104 in the lead. Dynamics was just about non existent. Stretch braking baby!!!!
Uke said
6:08 PM, 11/10/13
The 1104 was among the first ever order of Dash-9s from GE back in maybe 1997-8! I'm surprised the damn thing is still around actually!
Cy Valley said
1:01 AM, 11/11/13
Freddie Krueger wrote:
I had an oil train yesterday with the BNSF 1104 in the lead. Dynamics was just about non existent. Stretch braking baby!!!!
That is no excuse. About non-existent is not non-existent. Dynamic brake is the first priority, no whining. Start back farther.
Snippy said
1:40 AM, 11/11/13
Dynamic is the priority brake. PERIOD. Not as in menstrual either.
No less than 100% rules compliance will be tolerated.
...spilled! This time in Alabama, on another 'short line'! Yep... Canadian crude shipped all the way by rail, only ta slosh out into a beaver dam. Boy oh boy, that'll piss off the, flat-tails for sure!
Crude oil tank cars ablaze after train derails in Alabama
By Verna Gates and Edward McAllister
ALICEVILLE, Alabama Fri Nov 8, 2013 9:09pm EST
(Reuters) - Several oil tank cars that burst into flames after a train derailed in rural Alabama were expected to keep burning into Saturday, potentially reigniting the push for tougher regulation of the boom in moving oil by rail.
Twenty-five of the train's 90 cars derailed near a 60-foot-long wooden trestle in the early hours of Friday morning, and a number were still on fire 18 hours later, operator Genesee & Wyoming Inc said. They were sending flames hundreds of feet high that could be seen from over 10 miles away.
No injuries were reported, but an unknown amount of crude oil spilled into an adjacent marshland, Genesee said. State officials said the oil had been contained, partly thanks to a nearby beaver dam that had already slowed the flow of water. The cause of the incident is under investigation.
A local official said the crude oil had originated in North Dakota, home of the booming Bakken shale patch. If so, it may have been carrying the same type of light crude oil that was on a Canadian train that derailed in the Quebec town of Lac-Megantic this summer, killing 47 people.
That incident, which the operator Montreal Maine & Atlantic blamed on a train engineer for not braking sufficiently on an incline, fueled a drive for tougher standards for oil rail shipments. Proposed measures included better testing of potentially explosive ultra-light shale crude and improved rail tank car standards. Tank cars made before 2011 have been cited by regulators as dangerously prone to puncture.
Genesee said the train was hauling 90 DOT-108 tank cars, a different model than the DOT-111s that have been cited before.
Each carried 30,000 gallons (114,000 liters) of crude, or 64,000 barrels in all, Genesee said.
It was not clear what caused Friday's accident in Pickens County, Alabama, or how old the tank cars were. The train was being driven by two engineers, both unharmed, officials said.
Nearly 18 hours after the derailment, officials had not yet been able to investigate the scene, leaving few guesses as to what may have caused one of the most dramatic oil-train incidents in the United States since shipments of crude by rail began to surge with the rise of shale oil three years ago.
"All the evidence we need to figure out what happened is underneath the wreckage," said Bill Jasper, president of the Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway. Repairs to the line are expected to take about a week, the railway said.
Genesee said data recorders showed the train was going slower than the 40 mile-per-hour (64 km-per-hour) limit, and the track had just been inspected on Monday.
Traders said they feared that tougher regulations could drive up costs for shipping U.S. crude by rail, reducing its competitiveness. Such speculation weakened U.S. crude oil futures relative to London's benchmark Brent, which already trades at a premium to the price in New York.
"It will provide very clear evidence of the potential risks for environmental groups and others opposed to the growth of crude by rail, and will likely increase pressure to tighten regulations," said Elena McGovern, Global Energy and Natural Resources analyst at Eurasia Group in Washington.
BOUND FOR FLORIDA
The train was carrying crude from Amory, Mississippi, to a terminal in Walnut Hill, Florida, that is owned by Genesis Energy, the company's chief financial officer Bob Deere said. It was to be pumped into a regional pipeline and delivered to an 80,000 barrel-per-day Shell Chemicals plant near Mobile, Alabama, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Deere said Genesis was still able to receive rail shipments, and deliveries were being rerouted around the affected area.
The accident happened in a wetlands area that eventually feeds into the Tombigbee River, according to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. Booms were placed in the wetlands to contain the spilled oil.
Don Hartley, regional coordinator for the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, said the tank cars originated in North Dakota. Three cars had a "'bleve' - where pressure builds up and blows a hole." That started the fire, he said.
Alabama Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Yasamie August said that one family was evacuated due to the incident but had already been able to return home.
"We don't have a cause yet, that will be determined with the investigation," said a Genesee & Wyoming spokesman.
The company said it had notified the National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Railroad Administration and National Crisis Response Center as is standard procedure.
FOCUS ON TANK CARS
Rapid proliferation of oil-by-train shipments started more than three years ago to get oil to markets as pipeline infrastructure lagged booming production in remote places such as North Dakota, as well as Canada's oil sands.
The East and West coasts in particular turned to rail to draw cheaper U.S. and Canadian crude. With no major oil pipelines in operation, or even planned, rail allowed them to tap into the burgeoning shale plays in North Dakota and Texas.
In the third quarter, crude-by-rail shipments rose 44 percent from the previous year to 93,312 carloads, equivalent to about 740,000 barrels per day (bpd) or almost one-tenth of U.S. production. That was down 14 percent from the second quarter due to narrower oil spreads that made costlier rail shipments less economic.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has issued safety guidelines on the widely used, cylindrical tank cars known as DOT-111s, including a recommendation that all tank cars used to carry ethanol and crude oil be reinforced to make them more resistant to punctures if trains derail.
The new guidelines, put forward in March 2012 but which have not yet been adopted by the Department of Transportation agency that oversees the sector, stem from a deadly ethanol train derailment and explosion in Illinois in 2009.
DOT-111 railcars ordered after October 2011 have been manufactured to the new code, but the industry has resisted spending an estimated $1 billion to retrofit nearly 300,000 existing tank cars.
In Demopolis, Alabama, some 40 miles south of the site of the accident, where the rail line runs 300 meters away from the U.S. Jones Elementary School, Mayor Michael Grayson said there hadn't been an accident in the area in a century of train traffic.
But since last summer, when the oil trains first began humming past, officials discussed what might happen if a bridge just outside of town collapsed, dumping crude into the river.
"Sadly, with this thing, the only thing you can do is try to be prepared," he said by phone.
He's either a pimply faced kid who hasn't bothered to check his statement out by looking at past newspaper clips at the library,
or he's a typical drunken wanna be Legislator whose time has passed by.
I have pictures of a pretty good wreck on the FRISCO back in the winter of '79 - '80 between Boligee and Demopolis, and fire was involved.
From the swampy looks of the area and condition of the track back then..(I'm sure BN didn't spend any money on it before they let States Rail, then Rail America
and now finally G&W take over control) I doubt much has changed since the AGR leased it out.
Yea, every now and then ya hear rumblings that BNSF has come back to their senses and is going to take it back, I'll believe it when I see it,
especially now that this crude oil incident has happened.
Our old buddy Wolfram, where ever he disappeared to, could probably fill us in more about this situation.
I think he was one of the old Frisco guys who stayed to work on the AGR.
ALICEVILLE - AL -
UPDATE: Pickens Co. EMA Director Ken Gibson says they speculate that the fire started when the train cars hit each other during the derailment. Several agencies are investigating now, including NTSB, National Railroad Commission and the train owner Alabama Gulf Coast Railroad Systems.
The company has brought in large equipment to begin the clean up process. Although it's expected to take several days. We're told the area of the derailment is in a tough place to navigate. Because of the remoteness of the crash site, the 12 burning cars will burn out, instead of trying to have firefighter put them out.
Some of the crude oil that the train cars were carrying did leak into the slough. However, it's still unknown if the oil made it into the nearby creeks.
----------
UPDATE: The Alabama EMA is reporting more details now. They confirm 12 train cars derailed, nine were damaged and three exploded. Still no injuries reported thus far.
----------
UPDATE: The Haz Mat team has moved other cars away from the burning ones, and they have contained any oil that is leaking from the crash.
----------
UPDATE: Tuscaloosa Fire Department's Haz Mat team is on the scene of the train fire. Pickensville firefighter Brian McCrary says they are going to try to disconnect the train cars from the area on fire. A helicopter is providing an aerial view of the extent of the damage.
Right now, it's unclear if the train actually derailed. However, at least five or six rail cars on fire as well as the train trestle near the Vianna Boat Landing, according to McCrary. He tells us the train was carrying crude oil. There have been at least two explosions.
----------
There are several reports of a train derailment this morning in Pickens County.
Callers have told ABC 33/40 there have been multiple explosions at the crash site, just outside of Aliceville.
We have a crew on the way and will bring you more details as soon as possible.
10 hours ago
18 hours ago
20 hours ago
21 hours ago
Preliminary reports on the maintenance logs were pulled on the BNSF 5056, last entry was EnterBay wheel repair Seattle Washington.
That tank looks like it failed rite on a weld. (could be purposefully designed that way.)
LAMO......
A little update ta our story...
The info has been published/posted by Gennesee & Wyoming Railway, Inc., parent co. of Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway LLC.
Information on derailment near Aliceville, Alabama
UPDATE as of 5 P.M. ET Nov. 8
The railroad is appreciative of the efforts of local emergency response personnel.
The derailment occurred in the vicinity of a 60-foot-long, 10-foot-high wooden trestle, the site of which is beneath the derailed cars. The cause of the derailment will be determined following completion of a comprehensive investigation.
The train consisted of three locomotives, two required buffer cars, and 90 T-108 tank cars, each of which contained approximately 30,000 gallons of crude oil. It is believed that approximately 25 tank cars derailed in the incident. The fire has been contained, although several of the tank cars are expected to continue to burn off their contents through tomorrow. The cars that did not derail will be taken north approximately five miles on the railroad to storage. This operation is expected to begin shortly.
The locomotive data recorders indicate that the train was traveling below the posted track speed of 40 mph. No issues have been found with the performance of the trains two-man crew. Federal regulations require that the track be inspected weekly, and the track was last inspected on Monday, November 4, 2013. The most recent train to traverse this section of track was approximately 2.5 hours prior to the derailment.
An unknown quantity of crude oil has entered the adjacent marshland; however, containment has been placed upstream and downstream from the derailment. It is expected that the recapture of the crude oil from the water will begin tomorrow. The railroad takes full responsibility for this cleanup, which will continue until the site is remediated. Hazmat contractors experienced in crude oil cleanup are on location. Air monitoring in the vicinity of the derailment is ongoing.
The railroad has been working cooperatively with the Federal Railroad Administration and local Environmental Protection Agency officials that have visited the site.
A derailment contractor will begin removing the damaged cars as soon as it is safe to do so; this work is expected to begin tomorrow afternoon. Options to replace the destroyed trestle span are being evaluated, and repair work is estimated to take approximately seven days.
Reroutes of rail traffic are being established with other railroads to minimize the impact on customers while the rail line is out of service.
Further updates will be posted to this page as the cleanup effort progresses.
====
UPDATE as of 7:30 A.M. ET Nov. 8
No injuries have been reported.
It is believed that 11 railcars are burning, and for safety reasons, emergency responders have elected to let them burn out. A preliminary estimate is that burn-off could take 24 hours.
It appears that a total of 20 railcars (of 90 in the train) and two of the three locomotives are derailed. Both derailed locomotives are upright and parallel to the track.
The derailment occurred near a timber trestle, which is also burning. According to emergency responders, the fire appears to be contained, and there is no indication that oil is flowing into any waterway.
Railroad senior management is on site and en route. The railroad immediately deployed hazardous materials response companies to the site. The National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Railroad Administration and National Crisis Response Center were notified per standard operating procedure. A derailment-cleanup contractor is on standby to begin work as soon as it is safe to do so.
====
4:30 A.M. ET Nov. 8
A 90-car train carrying crude oil derailed shortly before 1 a.m. ET November 8, 2013, near Aliceville, Alabama, on the Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway LLC.
There are no injuries, and preliminary reports are that no evacuations were necessary.
Authorities have been notified, and local first-responders are on the scene. The derailment site is in a rural area and difficult to access, but a preliminary report is that four railcars are burning.
The train was en route from Amory, Mississippi, to Walnut Hill, Florida, with three locomotives and 90 railcars.
The cause of the derailment is not yet known.
A further statement will be posted here when more information is available.
Michael E. Williams
Director, Corporate Communications
Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, Inc.
a Genesee & Wyoming Company
20 West Avenue
Darien, CT 06820
Tel: (203) 202-8916
-- Edited by Uke on Saturday 9th of November 2013 09:30:10 PM
No way that outfit is a real railroad.....
will get back to normal soon. I really did hate working on the RR
when MIR. Sleepless in so many ways. Delays, interruptions,
weird events, and if you did fuck-up during this time period, you
may try the "MIR" defense. I think it gaining some recognition.
That is no excuse. About non-existent is not non-existent. Dynamic brake is the first priority, no whining. Start back farther.
No less than 100% rules compliance will be tolerated.