Train derailments and explosions and chemical spills

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At least 15 people have been injured as a result of the train accident in Kritzendorf, Austria.

A train accident outside of Vienna has caused major havoc on transportation routes in Austria. At least 15 people have been reported injured.

Over a Dozen Injured as Two Trains Collide Near Vienna 22.12.2017
https://sputniknews.com/news/201712221060252049-dozen-injured-collision-vienna/

"An S40 rapid transit railway set collided with a REX Train on a four-track section laterally, whereby at least two double-deck coaches of the regional train fell over," spokesman for the railroad said. MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW

Local media is reporting that a S40 high-speed train collided with a REX train on a four-track section.

Two trains travelling at FULL SPEED collide in Austria – multiple injuries (Photos)
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/895826/austria-train-crash-collision-vienna-Kritzendorf-passengers-injured-latest-news

The collision occurred around 6pm local time, according to reports, and Fire service spokesman Franz Resperger said two train passenger cars apparently turned over.

The incident is believed to have happened near Kritzendorf, around 19km north of the capital.

Emergency services have rushed to the scene.

Details are emerging slowly and at least four of the casualties are said to have been seriously injured.

More to follow…

Plus another train incident:

Madrid train crash: Up to 45 people injured and four seriously hurt near Spain capital Fri, Dec 22, 2017 (Photos - Video)
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/895785/Madrid-train-crash-Alcal-de-Henares-Cercan-as-Spain-injured

The crash took place this afternoon at a station in the Madrid town of Alcalá de Henares.

Emergency services say four people have suffered serious injuries and another 41 needed medical treatment.

The busy commuter train smashed into a buffer stop, a device at the end of the track at around 3.30pm local time (2.30pm GMT).

According to railway operator Renfe, the double-decker train was at its last stop when the accident happened.

Paramedics and fire fighters descended on the station as the incident unfolded. Those most seriously hurt have been rushed to the town’s hospital.

According to investigators, the train’s brakes may have failed, meaning it collided with the barrier.

Emergency services said most of those hurt suffered only cuts and bruises.

This afternoon, shocked passengers were seen nursing their wounds on the stattion's platform as an investigation was launched.

Some hurt passengers were taken away on stretchers in distressing scenes.

Despite the crash, the train service was said to be continuing as normal beyond the town.

 

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Kroonstad, South Africa - 04.01.2018 - Passenger train derailment

Train Crashes, Bursts Into Flames in S Africa: 12 Killed, 260 Injured (Photos - video)
https://sputniknews.com/africa/201801041060511048-south-africa-train-crash-fire/

(No official information on the number of casualties has been provided so far.)

At least 12 people were killed and 260 others injured after a train derailed in South Africa, eNCA broadcaster reported Thursday.

A train has crashed into a truck en route between Hennenman and Kroonstad in South Africa, as ER24, an emergency service stated on their twitter.

The information on the number of casualties varies: the Netcare 911 emergency service reports of 40 people being injured, while the ER24 claims the figure is much higher and stands at about 100 people.

The AP news agency has previously reported that at least four people have been killed as a result of the incident.

According to the videos from the scene, at least one carriage has caught fire.

 

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Kroonstad, South Africa - 04.01.2018 - Passenger train derailment

Train Crashes, Bursts Into Flames in S Africa: 12 Killed, 260 Injured (Photos - video)
https://sputniknews.com/africa/201801041060511048-south-africa-train-crash-fire/

Update:
18 dead, 260 injured, in South Africa passenger train crash
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1219001/world

A passenger train smashed into a truck at a level crossing in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 14 people, injuring 190 and throwing several carriages off the rails.

Flames ripped through the twisted wreckage and choking black smoke rose into the air as desperate passengers clambered out of the train to escape the inferno.

Tiaan Esterhuizen, who was traveling on the train as he returned from holiday, attempted to rescue three women who were trapped in a burning passenger wagon.

“I saw around 12 cars on their side and one was already burning. We heard some women screaming when we came closer’ so a few of us climbed over the cars,” he told the Times LIVE news site.

“Two of the women were sort of on top of each other. Another was further back. Her legs were trapped. One of the women was shouting that there was a baby inside also. “We searched but could not find the child... I am quite sure those women burned to death.”

Rescuers rushed to the scene to search for survivors and treat the injured. Officials warned the toll could rise as operations continued to clear the crash site.

“Police are investigating. The truck driver was taking chances... that cost lots of lives,” Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi told reporters at the scene. “The truck driver has been taken to hospital where we are going to do a blood test to verify if he was sober or not, or what was the problem.”

The Shosholoza Meyl rail company, which operates long-distance trains in South Africa, said the train traveling from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg collided with the truck at about 09:00 am (0700 GMT). It said the truck had made an “untimely” crossing of the tracks when it was hit by a train at high speed, between the towns of Hennenman and Kroonstad, 200 kilometers (125 miles) southwest of Johannesburg.

One of the derailed carriages was the power generator behind the locomotive car. It caught fire and the flames spread rapidly.

Shosholoza Meyl said there were 429 passengers on board, though Maswanganyi put the number at 730.

“The death toll has increased to 14,” provincial government health spokesman Mondli Mvambi told AFP, adding that at least 190 people had been injured — two of them critically. “It is feared that they could find more bodies as the search, recovery and rescue work is ongoing,” he said.

The number of injury reports also varied widely in the immediate aftermath of the crash. “We still have to lift the carriages to see to whether there are any other people that are still trapped there or not. We still don’t know what is underneath,” said one railway official at the accident site, promising a full investigation.

Some victims were treated on a strip of grass beside the railway line while others were taken to hospital. Uninjured passengers waited on a nearby road, some of them carrying their luggage.

The New Year is a busy period for transport in South Africa, with railways and roads carrying passengers returning to work after the holidays.

In 2015, 15 people were killed in eastern South Africa when a mini-bus taxi fell from a bridge onto railway tracks and was hit by a train.

 

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Bern, Switzerland - Wednesday Jan. 3, 2018

The incident occurred on Wednesday in the canton of Bern near the village of Lenk. The video shows how the first car of the train was blown away due to a powerful gust of wind.

Blizzard Blows Train Off Tracks in Switzerland (VIDEO)
https://sputniknews.com/viral/201801051060541829-blizzard-train-derails-switzerland-video/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I-aBcioINI (1:05 min.)

A video has been uploaded on YouTube showing a train being derailed in Switzerland due to a severe blizzard. Several people were injured in the incident.

On the day of the incident Switzerland, was hit by the storm front “Burglind”. Wind speeds reached 200 kilometers per hour.

Due to the storm in some regions of the country, road and rail services were interrupted, several dozen flights were canceled and postponed, and almost 100,000 homes were left without electricity.

 

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Milan, Italy January 25, 2018 Passenger train derailment

The reason for the train crash is as yet unknown. The incident took place during the rush-hour.

Train Derails Near Italy's Milan, At Least Two Reportedly Dead (PHOTO, VIDEO)
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201801251061050832-train-italy-milan-derails/

At least 2 people have been killed and 10 others hospitalized in serious condition in a train crash near Italy's Milan, according to Rainews24 TV channel.

The train heading from Cremona to Milan derailed between Milan and Venice on Thursday morning, the Trenord railway company told Sputnik.

Ambulances and rescuers have arrived at the scene in the vicinity of the town of Pioltello. Local authorities have announced delays in train services.

The broadcaster added that up to 100 people received minor injuries, all of whom are the train's passengers.

 

[Gawan]

There happened also an accident in Sydney, Australia on the 22nd January:

Sixteen people were injured in the accident, some suffering broken bones, when a train hit the buffers at the station in the north-west of the city

New South Wales police said on Monday that the train had crashed into a buffer at the end of the train line while “slowing to stop at the station”.

A number of passengers and two Sydney Trains employees, including the driver, were treated at the scene.

Police said 11 people were treated at a nearby oval after the accident, and although five people remained on the train to be treated no one was trapped.

The injuries of those taken to hospital included broken bones, but none were considered life-threatening.

An ambulance spokesman said one 31-year-old woman suffered a fractured clavicle. Another 77-year-old woman also suffered a fractured clavicle and was being treated for spinal injuries as a precaution.

[…]

The cause of the accident is still unknown. Sydney Trains boss Howard Collins said the train had “hit the buffers pretty hard”.

[…]

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jan/22/sydney-train-accident-passengers-trapped-and-injured-at-richmond-station

 

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At least 2 dead, 70 injured after Amtrak train collides with freight train in South Carolina Sunday Feb. 6, 2018
https://www.yahoo.com/gma/amtrak-passenger-train-collides-freight-train-sc-injuries-103103765--abc-news-topstories.html

At least 2 people are dead and at least another 70 injured after an Amtrak passenger train collided with a freight train in South Carolina early Sunday morning, officials said.

The two deaths occurred in the Amtrak train, not the freight train, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher confirmed.

Injuries ranged from minor cuts to broken bones, a spokesman for the South Carolina Emergency Management Division told CNN.

Amtrak initially said in a statement, "Amtrak Train 91, operating between New York and Miami, came in contact with a CSX freight train at around 2:35 am in Cayce, South Carolina." The statement continued, "The lead engine derailed, as well as some passenger cars. There were 8 crew members and approximately 139 passengers, with injuries reported. Local authorities are on the scene responding. More information will be provided as available."

The statement continued, "The lead engine derailed, as well as some passenger cars. There were 8 crew members and approximately 139 passengers, with injuries reported. Local authorities are on the scene responding. More information will be provided as available."

CSX said in a statement, "This morning at approximately 2:30 a.m., an incident involving a CSX train and an Amtrak train occurred in Cayce, SC near Dixiana Road and S.R. 26. Reports of injuries have been confirmed. An emergency response plan has been activated to provide full support. Lexington County authorities have been notified and are responding to the incident. Additional information will be made available as details of the incident are confirmed."

A spokesperson for Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia, South Carolina, told ABC News that it received 25 patients with minor injuries. The spokesperson added that Palmetto Health Center also received patients, but the number of patients and the injuries sustained is unclear.

The NTSB will investigate the incident. The NTSB go team will consist of more than a dozen investigators and support staff. Chairman of the NTSB board Robert Sumwalt will be the board member for the Go Team, an NTSB spokesperson told ABC News.

 

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At least 2 dead, 70 injured after Amtrak train collides with freight train in South Carolina Sunday Feb. 6, 2018
https://www.yahoo.com/gma/amtrak-passenger-train-collides-freight-train-sc-injuries-103103765--abc-news-topstories.html

CAYCE, S.C. (Reuters) – An Amtrak passenger train apparently traveling on the wrong track collided with a parked CSX Corp freight train in South Carolina on Sunday, killing the engineer and conductor and injuring at least 116 in the railroad’s third fatal crash in as many months, authorities said.

Amtrak train on wrong track in deadly South Carolina crash: governor
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-train/amtrak-train-on-wrong-track-in-deadly-south-carolina-crash-governor-idUSKBN1FO0CB

Amtrak Train 91 was carrying 139 passengers and eight crew members to Miami from New York when it hit the freight train at about 2:35 a.m. local time (0735 GMT) near Columbia, South Carolina’s state capital, and derailed, the railroad said in a statement.

Killed were Amtrak’s engineer Michael Kempf, 54, of Savannah, Georgia, and conductor Michael Cella, 36, of Orange Park, Florida, Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher said on Sunday. Autopsies are under way, she said at a news conference.

“It appears Amtrak was on the wrong track,” South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster told a news conference. He said the freight train, which had no one aboard, “was on the track it was supposed to be on.”

The area has three rows of tracks, and the freight train was parked on a “loading track or a side track” and “not the main track,” McMaster said.

“It’s a horrible thing to see, to understand what force was involved,” he said. “The first engine of the freight train was torn up, and the single engine of the passenger train is barely recognizable.”

The southbound passenger train’s locomotive was lying on its side, and the first car was bent and also derailed, although it remained upright, according to images from the scene in the small city of Cayce, South Carolina.

At least four cars of the freight train, which was northbound before it was parked, were crumpled, looking like crushed tin foil, but remained on the tracks.

The passenger train was part of Amtrak’ Silver Star Service, and the wreck occurred about 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Columbia. Officials said some 5,000 gallons of fuel leaked as a result of the collision, but it was under control and no threat to public safety.

The number of injured rose to 116 from a previous count of 70, said Lexington County spokesman Harrison Cahill.

“The injuries range from cuts and bruises to severe broken bones,” said Derrec Becker, public information officer for the South Carolina Emergency Management Division. “All the injured have been transported to local hospitals.”

U.S. President Donald Trump was getting regular updates on the crash while at his resort in Palm Beach, Florida. “My thoughts and prayers are with all of the victims involved in this mornings train collision in South Carolina,” he tweeted. “Thank you to our incredible First Responders for the work they’ve done!”

McMaster said he had been told the Amtrak train’s speed was about 59 miles (95 km) per hour upon impact, although the National Transportation Safety Board would investigate the crash.

One priority is recovering data recorders from the Amtrak train that will indicate its speed upon impact, NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt told Fox News.

The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department said a shelter for passengers was set up at a nearby middle school. Everyone was off the train, and the Red Cross was assisting them, the department said on its website.

Derek Pettaway, a passenger in one of Train 91’s rear carriages, told CNN he was sleeping as he headed for Orlando but was awakened by the impact. He said the crew came through the cars “really quickly” and got everybody off the train.

“Nobody was panicking,” said Pettaway, who was discharged from a hospital with minor whiplash. “I think people were more in shock than anything else.”

In December, three people were killed when an Amtrak passenger train derailed in Washington state. The engineer later told the NTSB he had misread a signal and tried to brake before the accident.

In late January, an Amtrak train carrying Republican members of the U.S. Congress killed one person in a garbage truck with which it collided in Virginia.

 

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GEORGETOWN, Kentucky — Two freight trains collid and derail Monday March 19, 2018

4 people injured when trains collide, derail in Kentucky
https://www.mail.com/news/us/8357434-4-people-injured-when-trains-collide-derail-kentuc.html#.7518-stage-hero1-3

Two freight trains collided and derailed shortly before midnight, injuring four people and igniting a fire that forced nearby residents to evacuate, authorities said Monday. Nearby residents were evacuated “out of an abundance of caution after the crash was reported at 11:14 p.m., Lexington Fire Lt. Jessica Bowman told The Associated Press. Bowman said she couldn’t confirm what substance had spilled and was burning, but the people were allowed to return home once safety risks were ruled out.

Police told the Scott County School superintendent, Kevin Hub, to open schools as emergency shelters, and buses were sent to the neighborhood to collect people without transportation. Hub said he could see smoke billowing from the scene and they were prepared to receive hundreds of people. The Red Cross even arrived with snacks. Shortly after many residents arrived, they were able to return home.

 

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Borderland Beat: Thieves derail and rob freight train in Veracruz
Puebla, Mexico (May 08, 2018) -

Train robbers caused the derailment of a train when it rounded near the Municipality of Acultzingo, Veracruz.

During the early morning of this Tuesday, it was reported that the Ferrosur locomotive with machine number 4713 was purposely derailed near Puebla.

It was reported that a group of train robbers removed parts of the railway to cause the derailment.

Subsequently, the thieves made off with the cargo that the hopper cars were carrying.

The incident was reported to the Public Security corporations, and elements of the Federal Police (PF) arrived to the site to provide security and guard the area.

The area remains under surveillance waiting for the Ferrosu staff to begin work on getting the four hopper cars that were tipped over back in order.

So far the authorities do not report people injured or detained.

Why Didn’t a Planned Safety System Stop Sunday’s Amtrak Crash?
https://big4all.org/2018/02/04/amtrak-safety-congress-funding/
04/02/2018

In the wake of Sunday morning’s news about a fatal collision between Amtrak and CSX trains in South Carolina, you may have felt a sense of deja vu. That’s because the crash is the third Amtrak accident in as many months.

In late December, three people were killed when an Amtrak train derailed onto a highway in Seattle. Then in late January, a chartered Amtrak train carrying Republican lawmakers collided with a garbage truck and derailed, causing one fatality.

These recent accidents are part of a longer string of serious passenger train wrecks, the most dramatic of which was the 2015 derailment of a commuter train in Philadelphia, which killed eight. It’s important to point out that traveling by train is still far safer than driving in the U.S., but the rash of accidents demands the question — what’s going wrong?

There are at least two parts to that answer: human fallibility and systemic failures that reach all the way up to the federal government.

A common factor in many recent Amtrak accidents, including both the Seattle and Philadelphia derailments, has been trains exceeding posted speeds through curves or other low-speed areas, in some cases due to driver negligence. Way back in 2008, Congress mandated that passenger and freight railways reduce the risk of speeding by implementing a system called Positive Train Control, which would automatically intervene if trains were going too fast or at risk of collision.

The immediate cause of today’s accident, according to a National Transportation Safety Board press conference, was a switch that routed the Amtrak train onto a siding occupied by a CSX train, and an NTSB spokesperson made clear that a PTC system, if it were working as intended, should have prevented just this sort of crash. The status of PTC installation on the particular track in question isn’t yet clear, but according to the latest data CSX, which owns the track, has only installed PTC on 39% of its track.

Amtrak is actually doing a lot better than that, with PTC installed on 69% of its track. That’s despite the fact that the 2008 PTC mandate came with no funding for Amtrak, which relies on federal funds for system maintenance, to install the technology. Even highly profitable private freight lines argued that the original 2015 deadline was unrealistic, since the technology was still being developed when the original law passed. For its part, Amtrak has partly blamed the slowness of PTC implementation on difficulties obtaining wireless spectrum.

In 2015, Congress voted to extend the deadline for nationwide PTC implementation to the end of 2018, and some transit commentators are already blaming deadline waffling and failure to fund the system for the latest crash.

https://twitter.com/x/status/960221284650102784

The slow and inconsistent implementation of PTC is only one part of the infrastructure issues facing Amtrak, though. Its rails are also aging, and lack of maintenance has played a role in some recent derailments. Amtrak told the New York Times last December that it only realized the severity of track deterioration around New York’s Penn Station after a derailment in April of last year.

Amtrak’s infrastructure woes are part of a much broader decline in spending on airports, roads and rails across the U.S. since the early 1990s. President Donald Trump made major new infrastructure spending a plank of his 2016 campaign, but his newly unveiled plan has been criticized for being vague and underfunded.

Meanwhile, despite the administration’s rhetoric on infrastructure, Trump’s 2018 budget proposal cut federal Amtrak funding by 13%. And in December, the Trump administration pulled $13 billion in funding for Amtrak rail maintenance that had been earmarked by the Obama administration.

American investment in rail projects lags substantially compared to other developed nations. In recent years there has been hand-wringing that America is falling behind not only Japan and France, but even Turkey, China, and Russia in development of high-speed rail. Now, it seems we’re failing to even maintain our aging, inadequate rail systems to an acceptable level of safety.

Published on May 2, 2018

Emergency crews reported to the scene of a train derailment in north Fort Worth early Wednesday. Dozens of train cars rolled off of the tracks just after 1:30 a.m. near the intersection of Loop 820 and North Main Street, not far from Meacham Airport.

3 train cars hauling grain derail in Northampton County
Updated Apr 27; Posted Apr 27
Three cars derailed as a Norfolk Southern train was making a delivery along a private spur Thursday afternoon off Route 611 just south of Martins Creek in Lower Mount Bethel Township, a company spokesman confirmed.

Since the incident happened on a railroad customer's property, the cleanup and righting of the cars were being handled by the customer, Norfolk Southern spokesman Jonathan Glass said Friday morning.

He wouldn't identify the customer, citing policy, but the incident happened near the old Lehigh Cement plant which is owned now and operated by Ardent Mills, which has two facilities near each other in the township. The company is North America's largest supplier of flour, according to its website.

A media voicemail box at the Colorado company could not accept messages on Friday morning, according to a recording.

The train had 54 "covered hopper cars" loaded with grain, Glass said.

No one was hurt in what Glass called a minor incident. The train was moving the cars into the facility to "spot" -- or properly place -- them to be unloaded, he said. Some grain was spilled in the 2 p.m. incident when one of the cars fell on its side, he added.

The cars would be inspected either by the railroad or the customer before they would be allowed to continue on, he said. Whichever entity handled the inspection, Glass said he could "assure" the cars would be safe to travel.

After a brief delay, the train continued on, Glass said.

Pennsylvania State Police at Belfast said they had no information on the incident and Northampton County emergency dispatch records don't show a response from firefighters or EMS.

Published on Apr 26, 2018
Train derailment blocks Highway 77 entrance to Woodsboro

 

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7 Seriously injured including 5 migrants in Mexico train crash
May 19, 2018 19:07

View of the two freight trains that crashed on May 19, 2018, due to suspected sabotage in the Orizaba municipality of the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz; seven people were seriously injured in the accident, including five migrants. EFE-EPA/Ferromex

Veracruz, Mexico, May 19 (efe-epa).-

Seven people were injured, including five migrants, when two freight trains crashed due to suspected sabotage in the Orizaba municipality of the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz.

Police reports said the accident occurred at 4:30 am this Saturday when suspected criminals sabotaged the brakes on one of the trains to try and hijack its freight, which caused it to crash into another in Orizaba, a mountainous area in Veracruz.

The head of the Railroad Transport Regulatory Agency, Benjamin Aleman Castilla, confirmed the accident and said that as yet no deaths have been reported.

He also announced that a special commission has been established to investigate the incident.
"A railroad accident occurred before dawn in Veracruz (a crash caused by a sliding train). Fortunately there are no fatalities," he wrote on Twitter.

One of the trains was traveling from the port of Veracruz to Mexico City, but the locomotive engineers realized that, around the Encinar community in the Acultzingo municipality, a criminal gang had damaged the braking system in order to hijack its freight.

They therefore decided to go back, but the weight of the freight cars made them slide out of control for close to 15 kilometers (9 miles) to the train station in Orizaba municipality, where it crashed into another train carrying out switching maneuvers.

The crew of the train without brakes jumped from the locomotive and suffered such serious injuries they had to be admitted to local hospitals.

In addition, five migrants traveling on the train toward the United States were also injured, and were taken to the regional hospital in Rio Blanco.

A total of 17 train cars were damaged when they went off the rails and also caused considerable damage to the station.
Veracruz ranks first in the number of train robberies committed by criminal gangs with the aid of people living in various rural communities.

According to a report by the Mexican Railroad System of the Communications and Transportation Secretariat (SCT), out of the 1,032 reported assaults on trains in 2017, some 16.6 percent occurred in Veracruz.

The state with the second most robberies was Puebla with 13.4 percent of the total, while Guanajuato came in third.

 

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24.05.2018 - Train Derailment in Northern Italy Kills 2, Over a Dozen Injured - Reports
Train Derailment in Northern Italy Kills 2, Over a Dozen Injured - Reports

A commuter train derailed near the northern Italian city of Turin after ramming a truck on Wednesday night, local emergency services said.

Two persons were killed and 18 others injured. The train driver reportedly died at the scene, while the second victim died of the wounds at a Turin hospital shortly after being airlifted there by helicopter.

The truck with a Lithuanian license plate caused the accident near the Caluso community, north of Turin, after it entered the rail crossing as the train approached.

The locomotive and two of the three carriages went off the rail, knocking down a power pole. Local authorities have launched investigation into the deadly incident.

 

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FOX 10 Phoenix Published on May 24, 2018

UPDATE: Fire officials investigate suspicious rail car fires
Posted: May 16, 2018 1:17 PM RDT Video
Firefighters remain on scene at the railroad tracks near Orcutt Rd. and Laurel Ln. in San Luis Obispo after multiple fires broke out early Wednesday morning.

The fire investigators say the fires appear suspicious but have not determined whether it is a case of arson.

San Luis Obispo City Fire Chief Garret Olson told KSBY when crews arrived shortly after 3 a.m., they found a chain of 15 to 20 rail cars with five of them actively burning.

Each of the burning cars was full of old rail ties.

Special equipment from the Cal Fire airport fire station was called in to extinguish the flames with foam but Olson says it will be several hours before the scene is safe.

https://twitter.com/x/status/996736717708115968

Representatives from Union Pacific are on scene and have canceled train service into San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo police are assisting fire crews in managing the area. Police Chief Deanna Cantrell has asked locals to be aware of emergency vehicles in the Sinsheimer neighborhood and avoid the area if possible.

There are no major road closures in place.

Residents are advised to close windows and doors due to poor air quality from the smoke.

Multiple railroad cars are on fire along the tracks in San Luis Obispo Wednesday morning, prompting a major response from local firefighters.

The fires were reported shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday morning near Orcutt Rd and Laurel Ln.

https://twitter.com/x/status/996714366471884802

Chief Olson equated the situation to tackling multiple, massive dumpster fires.

The fires have been deemed suspicious. A city fire marshal has been dispatched to the scene to investigate.

Chief Olson expects crews will be on scene knocking down the flames until at least 8 or 9 a.m.

There is a small road closure at Garibaldi and Lawrence roads in the Sinsheimer neighborhood.

Chief Olson says rail service will be shut down for much of the day.

This is a developing story. We will update this report as more information becomes available.

Off Topic Train Related: Creepy File:

Critically injured Amtrak passenger making progress in recovery; family still in the dark

Injured Amtrak passenger making progress in recovery
UTC May 26, 2018
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a Saturday morning statement from Amtrak, which gives additional details into their investigation.
In an approximately 31-minute timeframe, somewhere along the Amtrak route through the Sierra Nevada mountain range between Reno and Truckee, Aaron Salazar mysteriously disappeared from his moving train.

Ten days after the 22-year-old Portland State University student was found critically injured feet from the train tracks on the edge of Truckee, his family remains at odds with Amtrak’s police force, which is handling the investigation.

His family says Salazar, a gay man, was attacked — the victim of a hate crime. But Amtrak detectives are indicating to family members that Aaron may have jumped from the moving train, according to Salazar’s cousin, Sonia Trujillo.

Original story: Family desperate for answers after student found severely injured near Truckee train tracks

More: Amtrak releases update on battered passenger found near Truckee, says FBI informed

More: Family of battered Amtrak passenger still fighting for answers; Truckee Police release statement

Salazar’s family has raised concerns over Amtrak’s handling of the case. They’re worried police are protecting the company’s image.

Trujillo said basic questions, like when the company realized he was missing and who spotted him, have gone unanswered.

“It’s been 10 days, we need answers,” Trujillo said. “I'm exhausted, I’ve never been in a situation like this, but I'm not stopping until we get answers."

Amtrak released a statement Saturday morning with additional details about their investigation.

We are deeply saddened by the significant injuries to one of our customers, Aaron Salazar on Tuesday, May 15. The Amtrak Police Department is conducting an ongoing investigation into this incident.
Here are the facts that we are able to share at this time:​

Here are the facts that we are able to share at this time:

Family members also say that Salazar, described as happy and extremely close to his family, would never try to take his own life.

“Anybody who knows Aaron will tell you that he’s loving; he cares about his life; he’s responsible,” Trujillo said. “This is a shock for us — a complete shock.”

At 9:06 a.m. May 15, Salazar sent a text message his grandmother, telling her he’d made a friend on the train. They were going to explore Sacramento together, he said, where the train had a lengthy scheduled stop.

His train was scheduled to leave Reno at 8:36 a.m. and arrive at Truckee by 9:37 a.m., according to Amtrak train timetables, but a statement released Thursday by the Truckee Police Department indicated that Salazar never made it that far.

The statement said officers responded to a call at 11:30 a.m., hours after the train had come and gone, about an injured man lying feet from the tracks. They found Salazar, alive but critically injured.

https://twitter.com/x/status/999826398805090304

His location on the east end of town, according to the statement, indicated that he never made it to the Truckee Amtrak station.

Somehow, in the 31 minutes between texting his grandmother and

the train’s arrival in Truckee, Salazar exited from his moving train. His family and Amtrak detectives remain at odds over how that happened.

But as his family fights for answers, Salazar is making progress in the fight for his life.

Trujillo said that doctors were able to remove Salazar's respirator on Friday and he is breathing on his own. On Thursday, family member Austin Sailas said he was attempting to squeeze his mother’s hand and open his eyes.

Doctors have been unable to give a prognosis or timeline for Salazar’s recovery, Trujillo said. The only thing that’s been made clear to the family is that a long road still lies ahead.

But Trujillo said a community has begun to rally around the family.

A GoFundMe page, created to help pay for medical costs, has garnered more than $41,000 in donations.

The page’s comments section is filled with words of encouragement.

“We are definitely feeling the love from everybody,” Trujillo said. “We are amazed by the outpour of support and love from everybody.

“It’s nice to know that there are still good people out there.”

Published 4:48 p.m. UTC May 22, 2018

 

[Ca.]

Incident:

SMART train crash near Santa Rosa injures truck driver
Updated 8:09 pm, Thursday, May 31, 2018
A SMART train with 47 passengers aboard struck a truck at an intersection south of Santa Rosa on Thursday.
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/SMART-train-crash-near-Santa-Rosa-injures-truck-12959037.php

Napa Valley Wine Train and truck collide in Napa County
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/8380910-181/napa-valley-wine-train-and
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT | May 30, 2018, 12:15PM
A Napa Valley Wine Train and a pickup collided early Wednesday afternoon, according to the CHP.

Initial reports indicated the two collided about noon on Highway 29 at the tracks north of Oakville.

At least one person remained in the truck after the collision and but initial reports indicated injuries were minor, the CHP said.

The Napa Valley Railroad Police Department is investigating the crash.

 

[angelburst29]

The deadly accident took place near Daleszewo, northwestern Poland on Wednesday afternoon, local media reported, citing police services.

13.06.2018 - Truck-Train Collision in Poland Kills One, Injures 27 (Photos)
Truck-Train Collision in Poland Kills One, Injures 27 (PHOTOs)

The truck, carrying timber collided with Szczecin-Zielona Gora train at about 01:00 p.m. local time [09:00 a.m. GMT].

According to Polish TVN broadcaster, one of the 27 injured suffered severe injuries. The Szczecin-Kostrzyn trail route is closed due to damaged traction network and supporting pillars.

As the reports in local media outlets say, police, firefighters and medical services have been deployed to the site. All those wounded were taken to a hospital.

The major cause of the collision is still unknown. The local railway workers are working on the substitute bus communication network.