Officials probe train derailment in Romulus

Authorities are investigating what caused a train derailment in Romulus, the third one in two years, according to the Wayne County community's mayor.

The incident was reported around 9:30 a.m. Thursday and involved a CSX railroad that runs north and south through the city, officials said.

Fourteen train cars from a 97-car train left the tracks near Wick and Shook roads, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. No one was hurt.

The cars were still dislodged off the side of the tracks around 1 p.m. as Wayne County fire trucks and a CSX remediation team remained on the scene.

CSX representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The intersection of Tobine Street and Wick was blocked as investigators remained on site.

Authorities spoke with the train conductor immediately after the incident and reviewed the load manifest, said Kevin Krause, the Romulus director of community safety and development.

Three of the 14 derailed cars were carrying a load of non-hazardous liquid materials. Responders have not detected leaking from those cars so far, he said.

One car was also marked as carrying a hazardous material, though it had been empty since before the derailment, said Jeff Johnston, an EGLE public information officer. Officials have not detected any release of hazardous of materials at the moment, he said.

“It was luck of the draw today and today we were lucky,” Krause said.

Ensuring community safety is the city’s first priority as officials have notified nearby schools, he added.

Some schools west of the derailment area were closed out of an abundance of caution and to limit distraction from heavy equipment, Johnston said.

The city also is coordinating with Wayne County emergency management and Homeland Security officials to bring in additional resources, Krause said.

As of this morning, an offsite hazmat team had planned to use an aerial drone for reconnaissance, Johnston said.

The incident marks the third derailment in two years for Romulus, said Mayor Robert McCraight, who was on the scene.

“Our base jobs as elected officials is to make sure our communities are kept safe,” he said. “How do we keep the community safe when we don’t see enough federal oversight on these railways to make sure that our public remains safe?”

Officials have been voicing more concerns about the frequency of derailments to legislators, Krause said.

“We've continued to sound that alarm that there's there's issues here that needs to be addressed,” he said. “East Palestine in Ohio is a prime example of that, and we don’t want Romulus to be the next catastrophic event.”

Railroad safety has become a key concern nationwide ever since a train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed and caught fire in Ohio in February.

President Joe Biden has ordered federal agencies to continue holding Norfolk Southern accountable for its derailment.

In September, the Biden administration announced it awarded more than $1.4 billion to projects that improve railway safety and boost capacity, with much of the money coming from the 2021 infrastructure law.

Hours after the Romulus derailment, several Michigan lawmakers described the incident as a call to action.

“I am extremely frustrated and disappointed to hear about yet another train derailment in my community," said state Rep. Reggie Miller, D-Van Buren Township, in a statement. "The startling frequency with which we experience these incidents underscores the urgent need for stricter laws and regulations regarding freight rail. I’m relieved that there was no hazardous waste spilled, but as we know from similar accidents, we are not always so lucky. This situation is untenable, and it must change.”

U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Detroit, said his office was monitoring the situation.

"I’m grateful that there don’t appear to be any injuries and that the derailed cars were empty or filled with harmless materials. Any derailment like this is extremely troubling, however, because it obviously represents a breakdown in the system," he said.

"For those of us who have been paying attention to the deteriorating state of our country’s infrastructure, this is not a surprise. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be bringing much-needed funds to the rail system, but we need to ensure the safety of our neighbors now. I’ll be working together with officials on the local, state, and national level to get to the bottom of what caused today’s derailment and to find solutions to help ensure this doesn’t happen again."

Associated Press contributed.