Norfolk Southern train derails in Walker County over weekend

By WVUA 23 News Reporter Savannah Denton

One locomotive and 11 train cars derailed Saturday night in Jasper. The locomotive engineer and train conductor were briefly trapped inside the engine room. The two crew members were treated at the hospital and released later that day.

Norfolk Southern said no toxic materials were spilled, and clean-up crews are still cleaning up diesel fuel and engine oil. The company said the train was carrying a variety of freight and was traveling from Birmingham to Sheffield.

“The derailment is being investigated and typically takes three to six months before the results of the investigation are available via the Federal Railroad Administration,” said Norfolk Southern Spokesperson Connor Spielmaker.

The train tracks reopened Sunday with help from the Jasper Police Department, the Walker County Emergency Management Agency and the Jasper Fire Department.

A few weeks ago, several cars on another Norfolk Southern train derailed in Calhoun County.

It was also a Norfolk Southern train that derailed in February in East Palestine, Ohio, spilling hazardous chemicals. The federal government has filed a lawsuit against the company over environmental damage caused in Ohio.