(The following article by Nick Werner was posted on the Muncie Star Press website on September 29.)
MUNCIE, Ind. — South Walnut Street near 18th Street is expected to be closed for about a week as crews repair a railroad damaged during a derailment Thursday morning.
About four cars in an eight-car Norfolk Southern freight train came off the tracks around 10 a.m., according to Norfolk Southern spokesman Rudy Husband.
The derailment comes six days after two Norfolk Southern trains collided near Oakville, and it is believed to be the sixth train incident in Delaware County this year, Delaware County Emergency Management Agency director Bill Gosnell estimated.
The EMA does not keep statistics on train incidents, and Gosnell could not compare the 2006 estimate to either prior years or reports from other counties.
Because Indiana is a crossroads for rails going both east to west and north to south, Gosnell said, the Hoosier state is probably at a higher risk for train accidents.
Indiana ranked seventh in the United States in 2004 with 419 rail accidents, tying Louisiana, according to the most up-to-date statistics available from the federal Department of Transportation. Those accidents included collisions, derailments and other events.
Indiana, however, ranked third in train-related fatalities with 59.
No one was injured in the Thursday derailment, and the train remained upright.
Sgt. Paul Singleton of the Muncie Police said the train was carrying plastic pellets to Spartech Plastics on East Memorial Drive.
The cause of the derailment remained under investigation Thursday evening, Husband said.
The Muncie Fire Department does not have a hazardous materials team that could respond to a derailment involving toxic chemicals, Gosnell said.
The city, however, is working to field one in conjunction with volunteers, Gosnell said.
Center Township Emergency Services has a haz-mat team, as do the railroad companies, Gosnell said.
Norfolk Southern had 232 derailments in 2005, down six percent from the previous year but up 38 percent from 2002, according to preliminary data from the Department of Transportation.
Its accident rate was comparable to other rail companies and lower in some instances, according to DOT stats.
Two Norfolk Southern trains collided around 2:20 a.m. Sept. 23 in southern Delaware County. Norfolk Southern officials said one train ran into the rear of the other.
No injuries were reported in the incident, although witnesses said it appeared an engine had sustained major damage.