PIEDMONT, Ala. (AP) — A Norfolk Southern train derailed in Alabama on Thursday, but the company and local officials said there was no threat to the public.
The Alabama incident occurred on the same day the company’s CEO testified before Congress about the impact of a hazardous materials train derailment in Ohio.
The derailment in Calhoun County, Alabama, involved about 37 rail cars, though none were carrying hazardous materials, said Connor Spielmaker, a spokesman for Norfolk Southern. Two of the cars are considered “junk” cars because they previously contained hazardous materials but were not compromised, he said.
“They did not violate. There is no leakage of hazardous materials. There is no risk to the public,” Spielmaker told reporters at a news conference.
Photos published by local news showed rail cars on their sides or leaning over the tracks in the wooded countryside. Myles Chamblee, director of the Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency, said there were no reports of injuries or traffic jams.
Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office via AP
The cause of the crash is under investigation, Spielmaker said.
“Rail transportation remains the safest way in this country to transport any type of material,” he added.
Calhoun Sheriff Matthew Wade told al.com that no one was injured.
“We’re all safe,” the sheriff said. “They’ve already got a big crew together, they’ve got cranes and they’re working feverishly.”
The accident in Alabama occurred the same morning that Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw testified before Congress about last month’s derailment in Ohio of a train carrying hazardous materials.
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