“The rear three cars … contained one load of pulpwood and two loads of butane,” said Rachel McDonnell Bradshaw, spokeswoman for Norfolk Southern Corp. headquarters in Virginia.
“No leaks and no fires have been reported.” She said specialized cleanup and recovery contractors and railroad personnel are on site, and operations will happen this afternoon.
The cause of the derailment remains under investigation, Bradshaw said.
UPDATED @ 11:30 A.M.:
All Fairfield school buildings are open after a multiple hour delay because of train collision and derailment that impacted bus routes, said Gina Gentry-Fletcher, spokeswoman for Fairfield Schools.
“The afternoon kindergarten and preschools will start at their normal times, which vary by building as does the afternoon session of the Fairfield Academy School,” she said.
The 2,400-student high school opened earlier this morning as did the Fairfield Freshman School, which shares the same campus on Holden Boulevard.
Creekside and Crossroads middle schools are also in session, as are Central, East and South elementary schools, Gentry-Fletcher said.
North, West and Compass elementary schools were scheduled to be open at 11:30 a.m.
UPDATED @ 10:28 A.M.:
A train collision and derailment has led to Fairfield City Schools to delay two hours today.
The train crossing is blocked at North Gilmore Road between Tuley Road and Symmes Road, according to police.
Sometime after 4:30 a.m. one train rear-ended another that was slowing, causing the derailment, according to officials on the scene. The collision happened in the city of Hamilton, but impacted the Fairfield City Schools as it was close to the city border. The derailment did not impact Hamilton City Schools, school officials said.
“It did not affect us in anyway,” said Joni Copas, spokeswoman for the 10,000-student Hamilton Schools.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Fairfield Schools also enrolls 10,000 students and thousands started school two hours later than normal due to the train derailment at the recommendation of the city fire department.
Fire department officials told school officials that because the derailment was close to some of the district’s schools, a delay was recommended so first responders could properly assess the situation, said school spokeswoman Gina Gentry-Fletcher.
“However, the district does not have the capacity to place certain schools on a delay while allowing other schools to be on a regular schedule,” she said. “These capacity issues are directly related to the transportation of students.”
It’s unclear when the road will reopen, and drivers are asked to take different routes.
Details of the train derailment are unavailable at this time. We’re working to learn more.
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