(The following story by Malia Spencer appeared on the Santa Maria Times website on September 11.)
SANTA MARIA, Calif. — Train traffic was disrupted Monday as Union Pacific Railroad crews worked to right seven rail cars that derailed Sunday night in the heart of Guadalupe.
Union Pacific officials are investigating what caused seven cars in an 84-car train to tip over, leaving some on their sides and one precariously leaning toward homes near Ninth Street.
No one was injured and no hazardous materials were involved in the accident that occurred at 10:40 p.m. Sunday on the tracks between Obispo and Pacheco streets. The train was traveling north from San Bernardino County to Oregon, said James Barnes, a Union Pacific spokesman.
Some homes in the area of Ninth Street were evacuated Sunday night and Monday. The Red Cross provided lodging for one family and the rest were able to stay with friends and relatives, said Ken Warkentin of the Red Cross.
On Monday the Red Cross was providing food and water for the cleanup effort.
The train tracks were closed following the accident and railroad officials hoped to have service restored by 10 p.m. Monday. Barnes noted that once the tracks are cleared, some repair work would also have to be done.
With the tracks off limits, Amtrak officials said two trains were canceled Monday morning and passengers were taken by bus between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. It was anticipated that Monday night’s Pacific Surfliner passengers would also be bused, Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham said Monday afternoon.
Graham added that company officials were hoping service would be back to normal today, but it was up to Union Pacific. Amtrak runs passenger trains on Union Pacific’s rails.
Guadalupe Fire Chief Carmon Johnson said emergency crews from Santa Barbara County Fire, American Medical Response and the Guadalupe Fire Department were on scene within 10 minutes of the derailment.
Additionally, Caltrans was called out to help re-route
traffic since the train was blocking the Highway 166 rail crossing until early Monday morning.
Officials cleared the rail crossing, but the area around the derailed cars was blocked off with police tape to keep curious onlookers out of harm’s way.
The investigation is being conducted by Union Pacific, Barnes said, and then a report is given to the Federal Railroad Administration, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Barnes offered no timeline for the inquiry, which includes looking at potential mechanical, track and human causes of the accident.
Keeping the neighboring residents safe was the reason homes near the incident were evacuated, even when it become clear there were no hazardous materials on board, Johnson said.
The equipment being brought in to right the cars is “huge,” Johnson said, and he wanted to ensure that children would be kept out of the area.
The city is not told ahead of time what is being carried on the freight trains that rumble through town, but if an accident does occur, Johnson said, the train engineer is supposed to identify any hazardous cargo and alert emergency authorities to its location.
In this case, Johnson said, the only leakage that occurred was automatic transmission fluid from some of the automobiles being transported, and that was quickly mopped up.
The Guadalupe Fire Department plans for incidents such as a train derailment, Johnson said, and the response to Sunday’s accident was “cut and dry.”
He added that many of his firefighters and others that responded have had joint training in this type of emergency.
Johnson’s previous position as fire chief for the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant has translated well to the city of Guadalupe, which has its own unique potential hazards.
“A lot has to do with emergency response planning,” he said.
Planning in Guadalupe is based on targeted hazards, he said, such as the train and chemicals.
On the scene Sunday night until 1:30 a.m., Guadalupe Mayor Lupe Alvarez said he is pleased with the response of his city’s police and fire departments and he appreciates the help of other agencies.
“The bulk of what we could do is assess the situation and crowd control and evacuations,” Alvarez said. “The main work is Union Pacific.
“The bottom line is we are thankful that (nearby residents) were not hurt and they were willing to evacuate for their own safety,” Alvarez said. “We take this situation very seriously.”
Though train traffic is out of the city’s control, Alvarez said he thinks the City Council may begin inquiries on what can be done to reduce speed limits on trains through town.
The last train derailment in Guadalupe occurred Oct. 21, 1952, according to the records of the Rancho de Guadalupe Historical Society. That accident involved two northbound trains and occurred near 11th Street and Pacheco Street, said Shirley Boydstun, a member of the historical society board.