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A train enroute to Oak Island, New Jersey, from Hamlet, North Carolina, derailed in the Howard Street Tunnel under the streets of Baltimore, Maryland, July 18, 2001. The train was carrying a variety of freight and hazardous materials with three locomotives pulling 60 cars. Complicating the scenario was a subsequent rupture in a 40-inch water main that ran directly atop the tunnel. The flooding hampered extinguishing efforts, collapsed several city streets, knocked out electricity to about 1,200 Baltimore Gas and Electric customers, and flooded nearby buildings. The derailment also interrupted a major line associated with the Internet and an MCI fiber optic telephone cable.
The environmental impact from the five-day process of fighting fires and removing train cars is still being determined by investigators. The economic impact of the incident was felt by the City of Baltimore and downtown businesses. In October of 2001, CSX paid the City of Baltimore 1.3 million dollars to cover some of the costs of the derailment. The payment covered the cost of overtime for police, firefighters, and public works departments. It did not cover the cleanup of chemicals spilled, the investigation of the accident, replacement of the ruptured water main, nor road repairs associated with the derailment.
CSX officials accepted claims from 25 merchants on Howard Street, filed with the company’s insurance adjuster, for the damage and lost business that resulted from the accident. In addition to the insurance claims, CSX paid $20,000 to a group representing businesses in the area that were closed following the derailment. In an effort to show good-faith and appreciation, CSX wrote three $5,000 checks to volunteer canteens that served meals to rescue crews responding to the train derailment.
Next » The Howard Street Tunnel
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