Mass. train derails, no hazardous cargo reported
(23 Mar 2023) RESTRICTIONS SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Ayer, Massachusetts – 23 March 2023 1. Various of a train derailment scene 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Chief Tim Johnston, Ayer Fire Department: "My name is Tim Johnson. I'm the fire chief here in Ayer. As you can see behind me, we had a train derailment. At just after 11 a.m. this morning, a passerby called the Ayer-Shirley 911 dispatch center on the business line to report she noticed that two, some blue containers on the side of the rail and looked like they had fallen over. The police and fire units were dispatched. The police arrived and was met here by a railroad official that was also here. They determined right away that there was no hazardous materials involved. It was just containers that are double stacked on that freight train that contain only trash. They're known as trash containers and they're double stacked. For an unknown cause the two double-stacked containers on one of the trains toppled over and it seems to have ended up pulling four others over. So at the present time, we have five train cars that have rolled off the tracks and two are leaning in a different position." 3. Close up of wheels detached from a derailed train wagon 4. Panning shot of a commuter train approaching and passing by the derailment scene 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Chief Tim Johnston, Ayer Fire Department: “Environmentally, there's no issues. There is a waterway next to this where the containers are at, but we put booms in as a precaution, but there's no leaking contents out of the containers. So the derailment is under investigation by CSX and it could take several hours to maybe a day or two to get things back to normal here. And I know the rail traffic in, through this area is still running, but at a slower pace in this general area." 6. Railroad company’s workers looking at derailed cars 7. Close up of cargo containers that on the ground following the derailment 8. SOUNDBITE (English) Chief Tim Johnston, Ayer Fire Department: "No injuries. As I said, the train was actually not moving. It was on a side rail where it was not in motion. It was parked, as they would say. So it just seem to have toppled over and until this woman walking by, nobody before that, you know, called or made any comment that, hey, the trail, you know, the rail trail, the railroad train had rolled over." 9. Railway workers assessing damage at the scene of derailment 10. Close up of a railcar’s detached wheel assembly 11. SOUNDBITE (English) Chief Tim Johnston, Ayer Fire Department: "Yeah, it has not happened where the trains are parked on the side of the track, It's unusual that they would roll over and I can't recall of, you know, we've had them fall off the tracks but not, you know, fall over. So this is, I would say, unusual for this part of our Ayer anyways." 12. Mid of resident Jonathan Kranz and a neighbor checking out the derailment site 13. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Kranz, Ayer Resident: "I'm on the planning board in Ayer and my wife said, 'Hey, did we check the news?' And I said, 'What's going on?' She says 'We got our own train derailment.' So I wanted to see for myself. And from what I understand, it doesn't sound like anyone was hurt or injured, which is great news, but it is concerning. Ayer is a significant train junction and it makes you wonder what the protocols are for safety and the condition of the rails themselves." 14. Wide of Kranz and another resident at the derailment site 15. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Kranz, Ayer Resident: 16. Wide of the derailment site STORYLINE: The train was not moving at the time of the derailment. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
