Freight train derailment involving 17 cars blocks crossings in Harvey and Dixmoor, Illinois
A freight train derailment in Chicago's south suburbs has blocked a handful of crossings for several hours on Friday in Harvey and Dixmoor.
A CSX spokesperson said around 4:45 a.m., 17 train cars – including 16 autoracks and one intermodal car – derailed near 140th and Spaulding Avenue. The train cars were blocking crossings at Robey Avenue, Lincoln Avenue and Western Avenue.
The crossings have reopened, but crews were still working Friday evening to upright the derailed cars and get them back on the tracks.
No injuries were reported, and there are no hazmat leaks or spills, officials confirmed.
The derailment was something residents said was scary to see.
"Never have I seen anything like this. Now, they do block traffic quite often, but I've never seen anything like this," lifelong Dixmoor resident Cassandra Wilson said.
She said, while the train derailment didn't wake her, stepping outside took her breath away. She lives right across the street from the incident.
"It's a mess. I mean, It's mind boggling. It's mind boggling. You see these trains on the tracks every day. You never imagine something like this. Now, I've seen it on the news before, but to actually see it in person, it's alarming," she said.
The Federal Railroad Administration sent agents to the scene to investigate the cause of the derailment. The National Transportation Safety Board also was investigating.
A CSX train also derailed last week in Chicago Ridge, after at least a dozen freight cars came off the tracks near Ridgeland Avenue and Central Avenue.
That derailment halted Metra's Southwest Service line for the day.
CSX said the cause of that derailment was still under investigation as of Friday.
DePaul University professor and transportation expert Joe Schwieterman said two CSX derailments in a short amount of time is something of concern.
"The safety officials look at these trends, and there's so many different factors. These cars are running so heavy that the tracks could give away. We've seen a lot of concern about older cars that could have mechanical defects," he said.
The NTSB said its investigations typically take 6 to 12 months to complete.
