CLEVELAND, May 1 — The BLET Safety Task Force has been dispatched to assist the National Transportation Safety Board with the investigation of an oil train derailment and fire in Lynchburg, Va.
At about 2:30 p.m. on April 30, a CSX oil train derailed in downtown Lynchburg. No injuries to crew members have been reported. Several cars burst into flames and some derailed into the James River. Media reports indicate the train was carrying crude oil from the Bakken shale formation, which has been noted for high levels of volatility.
Brother Carl W. Fields, Coordinator of the BLET Safety Task Force, reports that STF Primary Investigators David E. Rose, BLET Division 314 (Rocky Mount, N.C.), and Doug Ford, BLET Division 239 (Knoxville, Tenn.), are on scene assisting with the investigation.
The BLET Safety Task Force assists federal agencies in the investigation of rail accidents, helping to determine probable causes and making safety recommendations. The STF will study the accident from the viewpoint of locomotive engineers and trainmen to help determine how the accident occurred and how to prevent similar accidents from happening in the future.
The NTSB will handle release of details regarding these derailments as the on-site investigation unfolds.