On the evening of July 20, five cars from a CSX Transportation freight train derailed, flattened one building and caused significant damage to a residential complex and personal property in the city of Fredericksburg.
Last week, U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger joined leaders from Fredericksburg at the site of last month’s derailment and visited the nearby CSX rail yard in Fredericksburg’s Mayfield neighborhood.
Spanberger, local officials and community members discussed CSX’s response in the weeks since the incident and the community’s longstanding safety concerns regarding the Mayfield rail yard, including the proximity of the main rail line to homes on Railroad Avenue and the storage of rail tanker cars containing hazardous and flammable materials for unspecified periods of time.
Spanberger today pressed the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to conduct a thorough incident review and evaluation of regional rail infrastructure.
In a letter sent to the administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, Amit Bose, Spanberger urged the FRA to both conduct an incident review of the CSX derailment and broadly evaluate rail infrastructure, safety protocols and the proximity of rail lines to residential areas across the Fredericksburg region.
The congresswoman also emphasized the safety and environmental concerns expressed to her by residents and the community’s heightened concerns in the wake of last month’s derailment. Spanberger underscored the need for the FRA to work closely with the city and local officials throughout an evaluation of the region’s railway operations.
“Given the July 20 derailment involved runaway cars and resulted in property damage to residents’ garages, the FRA should initiate an investigation into the derailment to guarantee that a similar incident does not occur again,” said Spanberger. “Additionally, it is important to note that this is not the first time the Fredericksburg community has faced challenges or that residents have expressed concerns related to rail operations in the city. Residents of the city’s Mayfield neighborhood have long been vocal about the safety and environmental impact of CSX’s rail operations — specifically the risks involved in shipping and storing hazardous products in tanker cars close to the neighborhood for extended periods of time, as well as the proximity of rail lines to their homes.”
She added that residents in Fredericksburg deserve to feel safe in their homes.
“These longstanding concerns, coupled with last month’s derailment, require a holistic audit of the area to determine existing risks before another incident occurs and provide recommendations for necessary improvements to enhance the overall safety of railway operations in Fredericksburg” Spanberger said.
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Rebecca Barnabi
