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Monday, March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024

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Most derailed train cars in D.C. put back on tracks

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WASHINGTON — Train cars that derailed in the nation’s capital over the weekend have largely been put back on the tracks, and workers Monday finished offloading hazardous materials from two of the cars, CSX officials said.

CSX said Monday evening that 15 of the 16 cars that derailed have been put back on tracks in preparation for them to be moved. The final car, which was significantly damaged, will be taken away by trailer.

No injuries were reported as a result of the derailment, which happened about 6:40 a.m. Sunday, but material the train was carrying was spilled. CSX said Monday evening that it had completed the offloading of sodium hydroxide and ethanol from two cars that derailed. Sodium hydroxide, commonly known as lye, is used to produce various household products including paper, soap and detergents, CSX said. It can irritate and burn the skin and eyes. CSX says about 750 gallons of a 15,000-gallon load were spilled. Ethanol is considered a hazardous material and it is flammable. CSX officials did not have a precise estimate of how much ethanol spilled, spokesman Rob Doolittle said. He said the leak was stopped “very quickly … and the Federal Railroad Administration has characterized the leak as ‘minor.”‘

CSX, which is based in Jacksonville, Fla., has said the train had three locomotives and 175 cars, including 94 that were loaded with mixed freight, and 81 that were empty. The train was heading to Hamlet, N.C., from Cumberland, Md.

CSX says it is preparing to clean up the derailment site, which will involve replacing soil and laying new track. CSX officials haven’t said how long the cleanup may take.

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