SANDSTONE, W.Va. — Three employees of CSX were taken to the hospital after a train derailment early Wednesday morning along the New River in Summers County, W.Va.
According to the company the train, pulling empty coal cars, derailed about 4:51 a.m. after it struck a rockslide which covered the track. A statement from CSX indicated the lead engine had three crew members on board. They were a conductor, engineer, and an engineer trainee. All three crew members were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Four of the locomotives along with nine empty coal cars jumped the track. One locomotive caught fire. The company said an unknown amount of diesel fuel and oil spilled from the locomotives and environmental containment measures are being taken to protect the waters of the nearby New River. CSX said there were no hazardous materials being transported.
Sam Richmond lives near the scene and walked into the area from National Park Service property above soon after the incident.
“My primary interest is both of my sons are engineers on that line, and it scared the bejeebies out of me. That’s why I was there,” he explained to MetroNews. “I had been there for some time and went down to a crossing to confirm neither of my sons were on the train.”
Richmond was able to speak with one of his sons who is also a volunteer fire fighter and was at the scene. He was able to confirm the other son was also not involved in the accident. Richmond said the scene was a tangle of steel, fire, and smoke.
“There’s one engine over the embankment and one engine partially in the water. There was quite a bit of fire, quite a bit of smoke and there was some debris from the incident floating down the river burning. They were about one foot chunks. I don’t know what they were, but they floated,” he said.
What is the latest on the train derailment in Summers County? How did this happen? @WVOutdoors provides the latest to @HoppyKercheval. WATCH: https://t.co/yCFQ3nDJuy pic.twitter.com/2NJ4APStNt
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) March 8, 2023
The cause of the accident remains under investigation and the cleanup is getting underway. The area of the accident is upstream from Richmond’s Store, but downstream from the Sandstone Falls area. It’s a relatively remote stretch of track only accessible by rail or foot.
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Health and Human Resources, and the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management are all involved in the response.
West Virginia American Water is monitoring and has early detection equipment for their source water. The nearest water intake is in a lake at Hawk’s Nest. If it is confirmed that fuel has entered the water, the fuel is expected to float as it passes by the intake. West Virginia American Water has not shut down their intakes.
Amtrak has announced cancelation of the Cardinal Line for the moment due to the tracks being blocked in West Virginia.
“Due to a disabled freight train blocking the tracks in the area, Amtrak Cardinal Train 50 which departed Chicago on March 7 is canceled between Huntington and Washington, D.C. Amtrak Cardinal Train 51 which departed New York on March 8 is canceled between Washington, D.C., and Huntington.”