2 Train Derailments Today
Is this the new normal?
While looking into a train derailment that occurred in California today, I discovered there were TWO train derailments in the past 24 hours.
The train crash in California sounds odd, as the incident is being called a “runaway train.” Strangely, this train ran without ANY crew members for one hour at 80 miles per hour.
The San Bernadino County Fire Department tweeted that “a total of 55 cars derailed including two locomotives. A minor fuel leak from one locomotive being addressed by HasMat personnel. No current threat to public or environment.”
Didn’t they say the same thing after the East Palestine, OH derailment?
The big question here is WHY WAS THIS TRAIN UNMANNED? DID THE CREW ABANDONED THE TRAIN AT SOME POINT? WHY?
One report states that a two-person crew realized the train was “out of control” and “apparently jumped off.”
Good grief! Are these train workers not trained well enough?
In this comment section on the website trains dot com—some folks working in the railroad industry vouched that we are seeing a much higher number of train wrecks these past several months. One guy questioned the quality of today’s railroad workers:
But Wait, There’s More!
The North Dakota train derailed took place at 11:15 p.m. Sunday night. Seven train cars spilled hazardous materials, and the accident is being blamed on a “broken rail.”
Investigators determined four cars spilled liquid asphalt, which is used in road construction. Two cars with Ethylene glycol, an odorless and flammable liquid used in many consumer products, spilled part of their loads. A car carrying Propylene, which is an extremely flammable fuel gas with a pungent smell punctured, releasing some vapors into the air before being plugged. (source)
I’ve seen a few people on social media say things like “train derailments happen all the time—we are just noticing them now with the internet and ubiquitous cell phones with cameras, yada yada…” But the internet has been around now twenty-five years—why do we seem to be seeing more of these train wreck stories now?
What do you think? Are the number of train derailments and food factory fires something we should be concerned about?
This is a good way to get folks to choo-choo-se a different mode of transportation of goods & people... for the “15-min cities” narrative! “If trains are unreliable, let’s get rid of em!”😩 (will planes be next...?) hmm..🤔