Several cars pilled up in a train derailment

WAXAHACHIE, TX – Crews are hard at work in downtown Waxahachie after a train derailment left 16 cars off the tracks late Monday night. The incident, which occurred around 11:30 p.m., fortunately resulted in no injuries and did not require any evacuations, according to city officials.

The derailment involved a freight train carrying 110 cars, with 14 of those cars overturning in the mishap. Despite the potential danger posed by the ethanol cargo, no spills or fires have been reported, much to the relief of nearby residents like Brian Wright, who lives just three blocks away. “I didn’t hear a thing,” Wright said, noting his surprise at the lack of any catastrophic outcomes.

City officials, including the Waxahachie city manager, have been on site since early Tuesday morning, coordinating the cleanup efforts. The task of righting the overturned cars is expected to be an all-day affair, with crews working tirelessly to restore normalcy to the area. The derailment has also caused significant disruption to local businesses, as road closures have forced several restaurants and shops to remain closed.

This incident marks one of the more severe derailments in the downtown area, differing significantly from previous minor occurrences. “We’ve had train derailments before, but nothing of this magnitude,” the city manager stated.

In addition to the overturned cars, some roadway infrastructure sustained damage, complicating the recovery process. The cleanup crews have been working through challenging weather conditions, with rain forecasted to continue throughout the week.

As of now, there is no definitive timeline for when the cleanup will be completed, and officials are still awaiting further updates from the train’s operator, Pacific.