The threat of train derailments
In Janesville, our biggest complaints about trains are long delays at the Five Points intersection just west of downtown. Of course, late-night whistles annoy some residents, as well.
Trains have caused bigger problems in parts of the Midwest last week and again today.
On July Fourth, a Glenview, Ill., couple were killed when a Union Pacific train derailed in the Chicago suburb, and 28 cars loaded with coal piled up on a bridge. The couple were unlucky enough to be driving under the bridge when it collapsed.
Today brings news that a freight train derailment and explosion caused evacuation of a mile-wide area of Columbus, Ohio. The wreckage is burning, and the train apparently was carrying ethanol. About 11 cars derailed around 2 a.m. near Interstate 71, southeast of Ohio State University.
Plenty of train tracks slice and dice the city of Janesville. Who knows what hazards some of these rail cars might contain? Do the prospects of a derailment cause you concerns?
Greg Peck can be reached at (608) 755-8278 or gpeck@gazettextra.com. Or follow him on Twitter or Facebook
Jul 12, 2012 at 10:52 p.m.
Suggest removal
No concern to me......move along here folks. There are much bigger "train wrecks" to be concerned over....
Jul 12, 2012 at 7:51 p.m.
Suggest removal
i check both ways when i drive east on Court Street thru 5 Points --looking for them RR cars that went thru that intersection a little while back filled. did they ever investigate and find out what happened in that situation????
Jul 12, 2012 at 7:35 p.m.
Suggest removal
iam waiting for walkers,train derailment. now that would be one great day, for wisconsin!
Jul 11, 2012 at 10:51 p.m.
Suggest removal
Hwy 14 and Kennedy road is a big pain. At least the 5 points you can go around easily. The train on 14 locks off everything.
-
Ive watched some of the train cars roll across the tracks, some spots really flex and the ground sags..Im sure the ground acts as some sort of shock absorber, but seems rather primitive....and dangerous.
Jul 11, 2012 at 5:01 p.m.
Suggest removal
Appreciate your typical long wind on this hot day JaneVillain. My answer to GP's question is that I'm far less nervous about steel cars on fixed steel rails than kamikaze trucks loose on the road and aging air fleets with reduced maintenance budgets. But don't disappoint. Bring more stats.
Jul 11, 2012 at 4:32 p.m.
Suggest removal
Nobody's saying that, ChsMkr. I am actually pleased, given the increase in Wisconsin & Southern traffic through the city, that we haven't had an accident locally in a while -- though there was one in Stoughton.
http://www.wkow.com/story/18673320/car-v...
.
Those, however, can often be laid at the feet of drivers. Derailments are less the fault of the people running the train than they are of maintenance and inspection/regulation, which in most cases is federal. (It's possible that the Northbrook accident was either expansion of the rails in the heat, which could have pulled them loose from the ties, but could also have been related to the viaduct itself losing integrity in some way. Until the feds conduct their investigation we really won't know.) It's good, then, that the WSOR railbed (owned by the public) is getting improved this year.
http://www.progressiverailroading.com/mo...
.
The final factor is the sufficiency of hazardous materials training and response locally. I have confidence in our people and the mutual aid system we've seen in operation this summer with all the grass fires.
Jul 11, 2012 at 3:25 p.m.
Suggest removal
None of us are sure what passes thru on I-90 every day of the year. We don't have a clue what flies over in the sky. Should all transportation cease and we walk? You never know when the horse may bolt from that buggy!
Jul 11, 2012 at 1:32 p.m.
Suggest removal
Yes it does concern me. Train derailments can happen where you least expect them. Eleven years ago, there was a four car derailment on a track that ran between my apartment and the convenience store I managed in Antioch, IL. Luckily, the cargo was safe merchandise.
Jul 11, 2012 at 11:15 a.m.
Suggest removal
"Do the prospects of a derailment cause you concerns?"
Not since my first marriage. There can be no bigger train wreck than that.
Before you post a comment, consider this:
Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy AgreementPost Comment
Commenting requires registration.