Two trains collided and derailed near Columbia. How did it happen?
Two trains collided in Richland County Monday morning, causing injuries and a fuel spill, according to the Columbia Fire Department.
The collision happened at about 8:20 a.m. near Longwood Drive not far from Shop Road, the fire department said. That’s a rural area about 6 miles from downtown Columbia.
A Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in the crash with another train that had already run off nearby tracks, Norfolk Southern spokesman Connor Spielmaker told The State.
The Norfolk Southern train hit “an already derailed industry locomotive on an industry track that was fouling our mainline,” Spielmaker said.
The industry locomotive was originally on a track parallel to the Norfolk Southern track, according to Spielmaker. But at some point it derailed and was either on, or close enough to, the Norfolk Southern track that it “encroached on the Norfolk Southern train’s right of way,” causing the collision and derailment, Spielmaker said.
It’s possible the train had just been stopped in the area when it went off its track, Spielmaker said.
Information about how the industry locomotive ran off its track, or who owns that train, was not available. It’s possible the industry locomotive was rented or owned by a Midlands company.
An industry locomotive is more commonly used on shorter or local routes, while Spielmaker compared the hauling that Norfolk Southern does to a more national shipping giant, akin to UPS or FedEx.
“We’re still investigating what the (Norfolk Southern) train hit, but it wasn’t another Norfolk Southern train,” Spielmaker said. He added that Norfolk Southern will report the findings of its investigation to the Federal Railroad Administration.
Three Norfolk Southern locomotives and three cars derailed, according to Spielmaker.
The train crash caused a diesel fuel spill that Columbia Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins said was contained and not considered a danger.
Pictures of the scene showed multiple train cars, some hauling shipping containers, laying on their sides along with other debris near the tracks.
Two railway employees were injured and taken to area hospitals, according to the fire department. Further information on their conditions was not available.
Spielmaker said the employees were the only people on the train, and no other injuries were reported.
In addition to Norfolk Southern employees and members of the fire department, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control was among other officials that responded to the scene and is working on a cleanup.
There was no word on how long it could take before the train is moved from the crash and the tracks made available for other trains.
“It’s quite a process and can take anywhere from 12-48 hours to clear and ensure the safety of the track,” Spielmaker said.
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This story was originally published July 11, 2022 at 2:23 PM.
