(The following report appeared on the South Bend Tribune on November 7.)
ELKHART, Ind. — Cleanup has begun on the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks behind an industrial area in the 200 block of Collins Road where as many as 19 railcars derailed early this morning.
The cleanup includes rerailing cars that are able to be placed back on the tracks, and moving the others to the side, said Rudy Husband, a spokesman for Norfolk Southern.
There’s no time estimate as to how long this will take, Husband said.
Currently, no rail traffic is moving on the single track on the city’s east side, Husband said.
“There is a very circuitous detour route that we can use, but we’re hoping to get (the railroad) running quickly so that it won’t have too much of an effect on trains headed to Michigan.”
No one was injured when the 112-car train headed to Jackson, Mich., from Elkhart derailed about 12:30 a.m.
Husband was unsure of what all of the cars were carrying, but he said, there was one hazardous car, which contained gasoline, but no leaks were evident from the car.
An investigation into the cause of the derailment is under way, but it could take anywhere from weeks to months before the cause is known, Husband said.