Type of incident Derailment Date 2 July 2015 Injuries 197 Location Maryville | Damage $272,000 Operator CSX Transportation Trains 1 | |
Cause Overheated journal (Roller bearings) Similar Rafz train crash, Eckwersheim derailment, Valhalla train crash, 2015 Philadelphia train dera, Pukhrayan train derailment | ||
The 2015 Tennessee train derailment occurred on July 2, 2015. A CSX Transportation train derailed at Maryville, Tennessee. The train was carrying toxic chemicals, leading to an evacuation of over 5,000 people.
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Accident
On July 2, 2015, a CSX Transportation freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed at Maryville, Tennessee. The train was traveling from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Waycross, Georgia. It comprised two locomotives and 57 freight cars, at least two of which were carrying acrylonitrile. Other railcars in the consist were carrying LPG. Three of the railcars were reported to have caught fire. An evacuation of all within a 1 mile (1.6 km) radius was ordered. The evacuation zone was later extended to 2 miles (3.2 km), affecting over 5,000 people. Those evacuated were offered accommodation at the Heritage High School, where Red Cross personnel provided assistance, or at the Foothills Mall. Roads closed included Highway 321. Fifty-two people were injured by inhaling fumes from the chemicals on the train. Twenty-five of them, including seven police officers, were hospitalized at the Blount Memorial Hospital, Maryville.
CSX said it was helping residents find lodging. They also said there were at least three cars carrying the chemical, although only one was burning.
Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board has not opened an investigation into the accident, although that option remains open to them.
The FRA lists a report from CSX stating that the cause of the accident was an overheated journal or roller bearing. It also states the number of injured as 197 and total damages as $272,000.