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Coal Train Derails In New River Gorge National Park And Preserve

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By Kurt Repanshek - March 8th, 2023

Four locomotives and 22 empty coal cars derailed early Wednesday in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve/Sam Richmond

An empty coal train with more than 100 cars derailed in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia early Wednesday when it ran into a rockslide.

Three CSX railroad crew members were injured when all four locomotives and 22 empty cars derailed, the railroad reported. The crash, which occurred shortly before 5 a.m., also sparked a fire in the lead locomotive, according to the railroad.

"An unknown quantity of diesel fuel and oil spilled from the derailed locomotives and environmental measures will be deployed in the New River for containment. There were no hazardous materials being transported by this train," a CSX release added. "The incident posed no danger to the public."

West Virginia American Water was monitoring the situation. The nearest water intake was in a lake at Hawk's Nest, but any fuel that reached the lake was expected to float past the intake, the West Virginia Emergency Management office said in a release. Photos of the derailment were captured by Sam Richmond and posted on his Facebook page.

The derailment of the 109-car train occurred about a half-mile from the end of a paved road near the town of Sanderson. First responders were transported to and from the scene by CSX rail trucks, according to the West Virginia Emergency Management office. The Sandstone Volunteer Fire Department was the primary responder on scene, with fire departments from Summers County, Pipestem, and the City of Hinton providing backup, the office said.

CSX owns 12 feet from the middle of the track to either side and will be responsible for cleanup, the office added. The company sent a spill response unit to coordinate with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection on mitigation and remediation efforts. 

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