Fifteen coal cars derail on CSX tracks behind Bowie neighborhood
Thursday evening wreck didn't cause damage to nearby homes
Cleanup from a Thursday evening coal train derailment in Bowie continued Friday morning as investigators from the railroad transportation company try to determine the cause of the partial derailment.
Fifteen of the coal train's 81 cars and a locomotive derailed and three of its cars completely overturned at about 10 p.m., dumping tons of coal alongside the tracks, said CSX Corporation spokesman Bob Sullivan. The railroad tracks are owned by Jacksonville, Fla.-based CSX Corporation, a national railroad transportation company.
"It provided no immediate environmental danger," said Prince George's County Fire/EMS spokesman Mark Brady of the spillage.
The train was traveling from Washington D.C., to Morgantown when it derailed behind the 4800 block of Briercrest Court in Bowie, located northeast of the intersection of Route 197 and Route 50. Each freight car was carrying 100 to 150 tons of coal, which CSX workers are still trying to clean up, Sullivan said. Despite the spillage, Sullivan said there was no impact on the local community and the train cars remained close to the track during the derailment.
"There were no injuries, no impact on roads or anything of that sort," he said.
Two CSX employees were aboard the train at the time of the derailment and were not injured. CSX is trying to finish the track replacements by Friday night.
E-mail Andrea Noble at anoble@gazette.net.