Cleanup continues in downtown Waxahachie after freight train derailment involving ethanol tankers
A freight train derailment in Waxahachie is continuing to disrupt activity in part of the city's downtown.
Train derails late Monday
CBS News Texas
A Union Pacific freight train with 110 cars derailed around 11:30 p.m. Monday, shutting down roads from Peters Street to Gibson Street, according to the city of Waxahachie. No injuries were reported.
It's not clear why 16 cars came off the tracks, with 14 of those overturning on their sides.
"We've had some smaller derailments that are usually just one or two cars and that can be quickly cleaned up and taken care of, but nothing to this extent," said Waxahachie City Manager Michael Scott.
Tankers carried ethanol
According to Scott, several of the overturned tankers were carrying ethanol, a highly flammable liquid. Hazardous materials specialists were on scene Tuesday.
"As much as there's ethanol in these tankers, there's been no leaks detected," Scott said. "And so it's a safe scene."
Even though there is no current threat to public safety, the city urges caution for anyone traveling near the impacted area.
Businesses affected by closures
Several of the businesses closest to the site will likely be closed until the cleanup is done.
"It's a good thing that did happen late at night instead of during the day because it's pretty busy in downtown Waxahachie," said Tracey Richardson, the owner of Tru Love Salon in downtown Waxahachie.
The salon isn't far from where the incident happened, but the biggest impact Richardson has seen is the traffic. There are multiple road closures surrounding the tracks.
"Backed-up clients are running a little behind, and we're all trying to just work with them on that," she said. "Everything's about a 15-minute delay because they're all getting stuck at the traffic."
Community seeks answers
As other surrounding businesses wait for all the damage to be cleaned up, they wait for answers, too.
"I've never seen anything like this," said Ivan Diaz de Leon, who owns Ellis County Epoxy. "Was it a railroad issue? Was it a weather issue? It's just, it's weird. Never seen this before."
Union Pacific doesn't have an estimate as to when the cleanup will be done. When the derailed train cars are all removed, the roads will need to be assessed to ensure they are safe to drive on.
Cleanup could take days
The entire process could take days.
In the meantime, the city is encouraging people to steer clear of the area to allow crews to work quickly and safely.
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