Freight train derails in Byhalia

A freight train on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad derailed at the intersection of Highway 309 and Railroad Avenue in Byhalia Tuesday July 29 at 3 p.m., according to Cody Garrison, assistant fire chief in Byhalia.

Garrison was in charge of the accident scene.

He said some wheels broke on the rail cars and a maintenance crew of about 30 BNSF employees and contract personnel came to help work the scene. Twenty seven cars derailed, he said. Maintenance crews used their backhoes and cranes to pick up the derailed cars and set them on the side track that starts at Mason Road west of Highway 309 and goes back to a single track on Fuller Street east of Highway 309.

A total of 127 cars were in the train and all cars that derailed were empty, Garrison said.

One car carrying chlorine was among those that derailed but remained intact and no injuries were reported.

The accident scene was worked locally by the Byhalia, Victoria, Cayce and Red Banks fire departments. DeSoto County emergency management responded as well as Fairhaven fire department in DeSoto County.

Members of the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department and the Byhalia Police Department also helped secure the accident scene along with Adam Stone, fire coordinator.

All cars were back on the track in about 4 hours, Garrison said. The BNSF crews took over the accident, detached the derailed cars and got the train moving on down the line between 10 and 11 a.m.

Wednesday July 30, Garrison said. The derailed cars were placed back on the track at approximately 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 30 Garrison said.

Garrison said on a scale of 1 to 10 his reaction was about a 6 or 7 before resources arrived.

“After I got my resources, it dropped down to a 4 or 5,” he said. “I want to recognize all emergency personnel and fire coordinator Adam Stone.”