Ohio rail line to be closed for days after ethanol train derailment

07 February 2011 19:50  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS)--The weekend derailment of an ethanol-carrying train and subsequent fires in Ohio will keep part of a Norfolk Southern rail line closed for several days, a spokesman for the railroad line said on Monday.

An estimated 15-30 cars of the train derailed early Sunday near Arcadia, Ohio, according to news reports. Several cars exploded or caught fire, causing the evacuation of 20 nearby homes.

Each of the cars was carrying 13,000 gallons (49,210 litres) of ethanol, according to reports. No injuries were reported.

Rudy Husband, public relations director for Norfolk Southern, said that his rail company hoped that the line would be back in service “in the next few days”.

“In the meantime, we are rerouting trains that would normally use that line,” Husband said.

By midday on Monday, workers had put out all fires, according to local reports.

The train was en route from Chicago to South Carolina at the time of the derailment at 2:20 hours Ohio time (7:20 hours GMT), according to reports.

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By: Ben DuBose
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