Gas explosion damages Norfolk Southern main line in Kentucky NEWSWIRE

DANVILLE, Ky. — A busy Norfolk Southern main line in central Kentucky is out-of-service after a deadly natural gas explosion damaged the track.

According to media reports, the explosion occurred in the Moreland community near Danville, Ky., early Thursday, killing a 58-year-old woman and injuring five others.

The site of the explosion is adjacent to Norfolk Southern’s CNO&TP mainline, which sees dozens of trains per day including hotshot intermodal traffic. The busy main was shut down by the explosion, which displaced tracks in the area. According to a service bulletin from Norfolk Southern, about 150 feet of the mainline track, which connects the Chicago, Midwest, and Ohio Valley markets to the southeastern U.S., was affected by the explosion. The railroad says NS personnel are at the scene working to restore service, and it estimates service will be restored today.

In a news conference Thursday, Kentucky State Police said several structures caught fire as a result of the explosion, but all other residents in the area are accounted for and no one else is believed to be missing or killed in the incident. The explosion was believed to have originated from the Texas Eastern Transmission pipeline, according to WKYT News in Lexington, Ky. The pipeline stretches more than 9,000 miles from the Mexican border to New York City.

Among the trains affected by the delays resulting from the explosion was the NS executive train, which was set to travel south through Kentucky to Chattanooga the day of the explosion. The train was diverted and traveled northbound toward Cincinnati as a result.