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Trains Delayed After Derailment
Amtrak Service Restored Between D.C., Baltimore
POSTED: 9:50 pm EST November 16,
2006
UPDATED: 5:19 pm EST November 17,
2006
BOWIE, Md. -- Amtrak service was still disrupted Friday evening after a train derailment on one of the busiest rail lines in the northeast.
CSX crews spent the day cleaning up the mess from Thursday night's derailment in Bowie. One track has been reopened, but two remain blocked.
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Slideshow: Images From Scene The first train departed from Washington's Union Station at 6:30 a.m. on Friday. Rail officials said 15- to 20-minute delays are expected until all three tracks are back in service.
The Maryland Transportation Administration said all MARC Penn Line service for Friday was canceled.Two empty freight cars on a 114-car CSX freight train jumped the tracks at about 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, knocking down power lines and disrupting both passenger and commuter travel.The exact cause of the derailment has not been determined. Neighbors said there was a lot of water on the tracks at the time.Neither of the two people onboard the train was injured, and most of the train remained upright. But, where the train did buckle, power poles carrying 12,000-volt lines snapped and ignited two explosions heard by neighbors.The derailment jammed the Northeast corridor. Both Amtrak and MARC, the Maryland Rail Commute service, use the country's busiest train artery every day."We heard an explosion; a lot of sparks flying way up into the air -- maybe 100, 150 feet. About 30 seconds, another explosion," said nearby resident Bill Mussenden."While we were fortunate here tonight in that there were no injuries and no real emergency, I think there's going to be a real inconvenience to travelers tonight and into tomorrow," said Mark Brady of Prince George's County Fire & Rescue.Officials said the second track should be reopened Saturday, but it's unclear when the third track will be fixed.Stay with News4 and nbc4.com for more information.On The Web
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CSX crews spent the day cleaning up the mess from Thursday night's derailment in Bowie. One track has been reopened, but two remain blocked.
AMTRAK UPDATES: Click Here
MARC UPDATES: Click Here
Copyright 2006 by nbc4.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.









