CSX reroutes D.C. trains following derailment

The Jacksonville, Fla.-based Class I railroad is telling customers to expect delays for traffic headed through Washington, D.C. as recovery crews work to restore service after a CSX freight train went off the tracks Sunday.    CSX Transportation is warning customers to expect delays for traffic headed through Washington, D.C. following the derailment of a CSX train in the northeast section of the city on Sunday.
   The train, which was carrying hazardous materials, went off the tracks along a busy rail route near the D.C. Metro’s Rhode Island Avenue station, causing officials to close the station and suspend service on the Red Line between its NoMa-Gallaudet and Brookland stations. No injuries were reported and no evacuations were necessary, but officials estimate the derailed tank cars spilled about 750 gallons of sodium hydroxide, which can cause burns and irritation of the eyes and skin.
   The Jacksonville, Fla.-based Class I railroad said in a customer advisory note shippers should anticipate delays of eight to 24 hours as scheduled traffic is rerouted to alternate CSX routes. 
   CSX said recovery crews will continue to work to restore service in the area. Cleanup efforts will include the excavating soil that has been contaminated with sodium hydroxide and replacing it with clean soil so that new track can be laid, according to a CSX spokeswoman. 
   As of Monday morning, the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station had reopened and normal service had resumed on the Red Line, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
   Service on Amtrak’s Capitol Limited line, which runs twice a day between Washington and Chicago, however, remains disrupted, with passengers being bused to Pittsburgh in order to connect with trains to and from Chicago.