Train derailment cleanup continues in Byromville

Published 3:23 pm Monday, November 19, 2018

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Emergency work crews from the Georgia Department of Transportation and CSX continue to work on clearing debris from the site in Byromville where a train derailed on Saturday.

There were no injuries as a result of the derailment, but a railroad trestle and the road underneath took significant damage. A Georgia Department of Transportation spokesperson said early estimates suggest it will be approximately two weeks before regular traffic can resume.

At 8 p.m. Sunday, CSX put out the following statement:

“Normal train service has resumed at the site where a CSX train derailed Saturday morning in Byromville, Ga.  [On Sunday], CSX crews safely moved all remaining railcars from the tracks to a nearby staging area and completed track repairs.  Some personnel will continue working in the area to complete the debris clean-up and removal of all damaged railcars to an off-site location.  The cause of the incident remains under review.  CSX appreciates the patience of our neighbors in Byromville as we work as quickly as possible to fully restore this area.”

A spokesperson for CSX said Monday morning that crews are still working to clear debris. A GDOT spokesperson said their engineers are meeting with a contractor today to develop a plan for repairing Hwy 90, which passes under the railroad trestle where the derailment occurred. GDOT will have a clearer idea about a timeline for repairs after that meeting, she said.

Drivers heading north on Hwy 90 can detour the site by turning right on Church Avenue and then left onto Main Street. After traveling a few short blocks, drivers can turn right back onto Hwy 90, which is also marked as Hwy 230, and resume their normal routes.

Southbound drivers should turn left onto Main Street, then right onto Church Street, and then left back onto Hwy 90.

When the train derailed on Saturday, according to a CSX statement, a total of 30 rail cars jumped the tracks. Four of the railcars contained petroleum liquefied gas, which prompted a brief evacuation of a nearby neighborhood.

This is a developing story. Check back for more details or read the full story in Saturday’s print issue of the Dispatch.