Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rail Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hyattsville officials brief council on train derailment, cite environmental cleanup and unreimbursed city costs
Summary
Hyattsville officials and MDOT SHA briefed the council on a derailment that derailed 16 cars and a locomotive near Baltimore Avenue; the city estimates nearly $300,000 in unreimbursed costs and said CSX responses have left municipal reimbursement unsettled.
Hyattsville officials briefed the council on a train derailment that occurred at about 12:50 a.m., when 16 railcars and one locomotive derailed at the Baltimore Avenue crossing near Decatur Street. City staff described environmental impacts from spilled plastic pellets known as 'nurdles,' road closures that affected a corridor handling roughly 15,000 vehicles a day, and the need for continuous site security and traffic control for more than a week.
City officials said CSX responded to the incident but that communication with the railroad was uneven and that the city has not reached agreement with CSX on reimbursements for staff time, equipment, and infrastructure repairs; the city estimates roughly $300,000 in unreimbursed costs for roadway reconstruction and related expenses. MDOT SHA described its 24/7 response (about 290.5 continuous hours onsite) and estimated state traffic-control costs at $113,871; both city and state witnesses urged stronger, centralized communications and federal engagement because rail oversight falls to federal authorities.
