© NBC 10 PhiladelphiaThe 40-car freight train derailed in Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania.
A 40-car CSX Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, just before 5 a.m. Monday, prompting emergency crews to respond to a suburban area of Whitemarsh Township.
Between 15 and 20 of the derailed cars were carrying hazardous materials, prompting a Level 2 hazmat response, Fox 29 reported.
Officials evacuated houses and businesses in the area of the derailment as a precaution early Monday, saying there was no known hazard to the public at this time.
Photos of the derailment show multiple cars toppled off the tracks, which appear to be bent.
© FOX 29 Philadelphia
Officials from Norfolk Southern, CSX and the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety's Emergency Response Team were on the scene.
© NBC 10 PhiladelphiaEvacuations have been ordered
Joshua Road was closed between Flourtown Road and Stenton Avenue, police said.
It's unclear what caused the train to derail.
Reader Comments
But seriously,the number of toxic derails since last year!!!
Anyway, I wonder if the tracks deformed as a result of the accident, or before. But I cannot remember to have seen this in pictures from European railway accidents. Tracks come up as a whole, or are torn apart, but hardly yield as seen in this picture.
I still suspect lacking maintenance.
I lived in a small town in KS for 4 years and there were 52 trains per day that passed through (and that was on average). That's a lot, but having grown up 1 block from railroad tracks, the sound has never bothered me.
The tracks crossed two major highways which were about 6 blocks apart, and it was not uncommon to see people racing to get from one crossing to the other so they wouldn't be stuck for 10 minutes or longer waiting for the train to pass. Gods forbid you were on the wrong side of the tracks in an ambulance. The next closest hospital was 20 miles away. And the town is equidistant from Lincoln, NE (home of U of N), Manhattan, KS (home of KSU) and Topeka, KS.
In 1993, the historic flooding in the midwest, plains, and along the Mississippi River had inundated the lower part of the town, but it was about 15 years before a levy was built after the town finally came to an agreement with Union Pacific Railroad, and the new train route sits on top of the levy over which a new bridge was built raising the highway by a considerable amount. The rail now runs around the town, which is a rarity, because typically the state would just route the highway around the town because it's much cheaper. And that often leads to devastation of the local economy and a massive drop in tourism. And the town still has a lot of tourism due to it being a crossroads for about 8 of the east to west expansion trails, including the Mormon and Oregon trails, and is also home to the last standing Pony Express station which is a museum.
Anyway, in light of what happened in East Palestine, OH, I'm betting the town is much happier with the track route, despite it not being far enough away to protect the town from such an accident, and definitely puts the river at more risk, which itself drains into the Missouri River, but at least the tracks don't run directly through commercial and residential districts anymore.
As for this derailment, seems maybe the gubment, the state gubments are maybe getting a clue about the danger of derailment of railcars such as the carS derailed in Palestine Ohio - there still has been no fair explanation for that BS and suggest simply to me -
Tis WAR.
May the best ideas prevail and it is utterly stupid and in conflict with good ESHA practice to "set aflame" railcars derailed as was done in East Palestine and there is going to be hell to pay. Some of us know better and we have had enough.
Place your effing bets, but it is stupid to blow up leaking chemicals and dimwit guvners are on the way out!
BK
Which makes me suspecting much more sloppiness, decay, and neglected maintainance are involved than sabotage. Perhaps by putting "friends & family members" or "people wit the right attitude" in charge instead of experienced technicians. And cut funding for maintainance to a bare minimum.
But rails are much more robust, and far less maintenance intensive. As is the technology to propel trains and to signal movements. By God, this idea is 150 years old, and even the communists got that right ...
The level of neglicence and haphazardness in infrastructure matters is really astounding. To say the least.
1. You have the energy it takes to get from Point A to Point B and different ways to do this using different amounts of energy.
2. You have the time it takes to get from Point A to Point B.
3. You have the mass that can be transported per each way.
~~~~
I suspect if the "numbers were run" on this rail travel would be proven most efficient and probably most desirable in most cases. Trucks maybe come in second place, then automobiles I reckon and lastly flying in a plane only have value if time is precocious and you can pay for it. Personally, I don't plan on ever stepping foot on a airplane jet ever again - never again - it is so wasteful.
~~~
Warm Regards,
BK, Poem of the Day, 71823 1148
ps - I think transportation over local area should be owned locally by all who live there in the community....the benefits should be shared equally - what you think about transportation?
Interesting.
Made me think of this article.
TRUST US !
I apologise if I have misunderstood your comment. I’ve been on a date and had a few drinks.