Thursday, May 14, 2015

ALLEGHENY VALLEY RAILROAD FREIGHT TRAIN DERAILS IN HAZELWOOD, PA; NO INJURIES OR SPILLS AS 11 CARS LEAVE THE TRACKS







MAY 14, 2015

HAZELWOOD, ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PA

Eleven cars of a long freight train derailed this morning in Hazelwood, Allegheny County emergency officials said.

The incident was reported about 10 a.m. near the 4100 block of Second Avenue and Irvine Street, officials said. Those streets were closed to outbound traffic for a while after the derailment, but both have now reopened.

John Poister, state Department of Environmental Protection spokesman, said there were no injuries and the derailed cars were empty.

Some of the cars were on their sides, and their wheel sets separated from the car bodies.

Allegheny Valley Railroad confirmed the derailed train belonged to the company but had no further comment.

The derailed part of the train, immediately behind its five locomotives,  included mostly covered and open hopper cars. The train also was pulling dozens of tanker cars, but none of them derailed.

A man who lives on Irvine Street about 100 yards from the derailment said he heard the usual banging noises that trains in the area make, but then “I heard the engines slam down [their power] real quick and I knew something was going on.”

The man, who would not give his name, said he frequently sees trains hauling crude oil, corrosive acid, chlorine and diesel fuel on the Allegheny Valley tracks.

”We’re just lucky that’s not what got pulled off the rails“ today, he said.