Train derails, 14 cars overturn

WAXAHACHIE – A train derailment in the Downtown Waxahachie early last week saw no injuries, but the 16 derailed cars and 14 overturned cars blocked roadways for days.

The affected area spanned from Peters to Gibson streets. At one point, just after the derailment, five intersections were blocked.

The Union Pacific train was made up of 110 cars.  

The derailed cars were confirmed to contain flammable ethanol. 

There were no leaks detected at the time of the incident, but hazardous material specialists were called in for investigation.

Waxahachie City Manager Michael Scott said road damage on streets in the area near the tracks would need maintenance and it would be a lengthy cleanup.

On Friday of last week Scott also posted an update on the city’s FB page and said there were six railcars “that still needed to be worked on.” 

He explained the railcars needed to be offloaded before being hauled off, which has caused delay.

Scott said as of last Friday, work will be slow and there were still four crossings that were impacted north of downtown. 

“We are working as quickly as we can to get these streets re-opened and get back to businesses and residents to restore life as we have formerly known it,” Scott concluded.