CSX freight train derails in Oneida, New York, tank car explodes

Monday, March 12, 2007

A CSX freight train traveling from Buffalo to Selkirk derailed in Oneida, New York.

No injuries have yet been reported as a result of the accident. It is not yet known what caused the accident; CSX and NTSB officials are investigating.

Twenty six of the train's 79 cars derailed around 7:00 a.m. local time; the derailment led to the explosion of at least one tank car carrying propane. Two other cars are known to contain hazardous materials. As many as seven cars have been reported as burning.

As a precaution, 23 miles (37 kilometers) of the adjacent Thruway have been closed between Syracuse and Verona. Authorities have ordered a complete evacuation for a one-mile radius around the derailment site, including a jail and two elementary schools. Amtrak's Empire Service between Albany and Syracuse is suspended and Lake Shore Limited between Syracuse and Chicago is also affected; passengers on these routes are being bused around the affected area.

At the time of the accident the train had a two-man crew and was traversing a section of track that has a 60 mile per hour (MPH) speed limit. The train crew were not injured; it is not yet known what speed the train was traveling when the accident occurred.

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Sources

"Derailment Recovery Underway in Oneida, New York" — CSX Transportation, March 12, 2007
"Train carrying propane derails and explodes" — CNN, March 12, 2007
"Train derails, Explosions reported, Jail being evacuated" — News 10, March 12, 2007
"Service Alert: Service on Amtrak's Empire Corridor between Albany and Syracuse Suspended Due to CSX Derailment Fire" — Amtrak, March 12, 2007
NYS Thruway Authority. "Thruway Authority Announces Closure After Train Derailment Near Oneida New York-Updated Detour Route" — Empire Information Services, March 12, 2007
"NTSB sending team to investigate train derailment and fire in New York" — National Transportation Safety Board, March 12, 2007

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