(The Associated Press circulated the following article on February 22.)
EAST ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A preliminary report by CSX blamed a broken rail for a train derailment that sent freight cars toppling from an overpass and onto front yards, East Rochester Mayor David Bonacchi said Thursday.
Bonacchi expressed concern about the railroad’s inspection process, since the faulty rail reportedly had been inspected the day before the Jan. 16 accident. He also called on CSX to reduce the speed of trains traveling through East Rochester to 30 mph.
The Federal Rail Administration is conducting a separate investigation of the derailment.
No one was injured when 18 freight cars fell off the tracks, but several residents reported property damage.
CSX has given East Rochester $30,000 as an initial payment for cleanup costs and is working to compensate affected residents.
“This is proof positive that we need to overhaul upstate New York’s rail infrastructure,” Sen. Charles Schumer said in a statement. “For far too long, big railroad companies have turned a blind eye to safety and, at times the consequences have been deadly. The FRA needs to stop dragging its feet and crack down on these companies so we can prevent a far greater tragedy.”