A CSX freight train derailed on a bridge over the Susquehanna River in the midst of last weekend’s Nor’easter, sending four rail cars plunging into the water below.
Four days after the accident, CSX confirms the train “derailed due to extreme wind gusts last Friday evening in Cecil County.”
The derailment happened on the bridge between Cecil and Harford Counties as wind gusts reached at least 62 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. Six rail cars fell more than 80 feet from the railroad bridge, which runs parallel to the I-95 Tydings and US 40 Hatem Bridges. Four of the empty cars landed in the water.
There were no leaks, spills or injuries, according to CSX officials, but the rail cars are still in the river.
In a statement, officials with the rail company said, “The derailed cars were safely removed from the tracks and crews completed track repairs Sunday morning. Some personnel will continue working on site to address the removal of the remaining two cars from the river.”
Those two remaining sunken rail cars were located in the water and marked as potential navigation hazards on Sunday.
The Coast Guard continues to monitor and oversee salvage efforts. USCG is issuing Safety Marine Information Broadcasts to boaters, warning where the two sunken rail cars are. They are scheduled to be “rigged for removal” during this week and removed on Friday, but CSX notes the removal will depend largely on weather conditions, as another Nor’easter bears down.
