WHITEMARSH TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Approximately 16 cars of a CSX Transportation train operating on a Norfolk Southern rail line derailed this morning (July 17) near Philadelphia, CSX said in a statement.
The derailment occurred in Whitemarsh Township near the Joshua and Flourtown roads. CSX indicates one car containing hazardous materials is involved, but says there is no indication of any leak or spill of hazardous materials. The railroad also confirmed an earlier report that there were no injuries to the crew. About a dozen homes were evacuated out of an abundance of caution. The Washington Post reports that the hazardous material involved was tetrachloroethylene, a chemical used in dry cleaning, and that the evacuation order was lifted at 9 a.m.
The Whitemarsh Township Police Department initially reported in a Facebook post that the derailment involved a Norfolk Southern train. Police said representatives of both railroads were on the scene.
WPVI-TV reports the derailment occurred about 4:50 a.m. The station says video from its helicopter indicates 15 to 20 railcars are involved. Police told the station the only material leaking from the derailed cars were silicone pellets “which pose no risk to the community.”
— Updated at 9:25 a.m. CDT with statement from CSX; updated at 7:30 p.m. CDT with additional details.
thank you Ronald Hall !!!
First, to clarify: RR is NS, ex-PRR; train is CSX on trackage rights.
Yes, the Trenton Branch saw a NJT fantrip from Newark to Enola that returned over this line. Going was LV-RDG and return was Low Grade Line (A&S Br.) P&T Branch and Trenton Branch to Morrisville. The Trenton Branch was also the site of an infamous fantrip in the 1950’s using low wire MP54 MU Cars on high wire track, tearing down the overhead.
Most of that valley is underlain with limestone and underground erosion can lead to sinkholes. Nearby US 202 is currently dealing with a big sinkhole and both NS and CSX believe the derailment was caused by one.
NS has to dig down to the sinkhole to determine its size and what they have to do to ameliorate it.
This may be on a ConRail Shared Assets line which would explain a CSX train on NS; more likely just some Sloppy Journalism. As in my other post here I assume that TRAINS knows what “CNJ” and “LV” mean; I would expect them to know of the Trenton Cut-Off if they claim to be THE Magazine of Railroading!
And the country tracks keep on humming to the trains, “Brothers/Sisters – Don’t go out of my lines anymore! Promise?”
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
Chat GPT has been hard at work in the comments…
I retired in 2007. Back in the day when there was inclement weather track inspectors were used between every train. As a result no derailment in the area involved. The down side was that the company was running the track inspectors ragged and one fell asleep and rear ended a stopped train. Luckily no one was seriously injured as it was a fairly slow impact.
-Actually the skies cleared around 3.00 PM and the Phillies got in a ball game (W 7-6 in 12 innings). The heavy rain was Saturday in Bucks County (derailment is in Montgomery County)
The track is the ex-PRR Trenton Branch, PRR and PC’s freight bypass around Philadelphia from Glenloch on the Harrisburg Line to Morrisville PA on the NY line. ConRail built a connecting track from the ex-Reading at Norristown up to this line at Mogees and that is what NS and CSX use to Morrisville. It’s not really the short route to NY anymore for either NS or CSX.
I thought this might be on the PRR’s Trenton Cut-Off! Mileage-collecting trip covered it in June 1984 I was on! Traffic patterns have changed–freight to eastern points goes over the Reading-LV route now; CNJ no longer goes through hence the downgrading of the Cut-Off. But TRAINS is falling down on their job in not identifying the location as on the Trenton Cut-Off!
Poor NS. Gets accused of a CSX derailment.
Flooding tracks and passing trains do not mix too well…that’s my take on it.
There were tremendous flooding rains in this area of PA yesterday. Five people lost their lives.
A CSX spokesperson later said that the derailment appeared to be “weather related”.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
Norfolk Southern (and the entire rail industry in America) has been under intense scrutiny since one of its trains derailed and caught fire in February in Ohio, creating towering black smoke, forcing evacuations and raising environmental worries.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
It’s a 40-car CSX train.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
The cause of the derailment remains under investigation.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
Doc, no disrespect but your tsunami of rambling comments are both annoying and somewhat embarrassing. The majority of the readers of News Wire are railfans, or railroaders. You’re preaching to the choir. Can you please dial it back?
I think this Dr. Gunturk Ustun person may be an AI comment bot. If not, your right he is annoying as can be.