On Wednesday, a representative from CSX fielded questions from Fredericksburg city leaders and residents about the five-car train derailment that pierced a sound wall near the Cobblestone Apartments on Saturday night.
Now, City Manager Tim Baroody is seeking more answers.
In a July 26 letter addressed to CSX Director of State Relations Randy Marcus and posted on the city’s website, Baroody first acknowledged the company’s “efforts at transparency and engagement,” before listing a series of formal questions. He asked that CSX respond to them — in writing — by mid-August.
“Can CSX assure us that this will not happen again?” the first question reads. “What measures are being put into place to eliminate this scenario repeating itself?”
Baroody also asked for an update on the status of a review on the sound wall’s stability and whether the locomotive operator would be held accountable “for this destruction.” During the Wednesday briefing, Marcus attributed the derailment to “human error.”
Regarding an investigation of the derailment, Baroody asked whether CSX staff had engaged the Federal Railway Administration and whether that entity or the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) would lead it. He also asked for a timetable for CSX to complete an independent review of the incident and requested that results be shared with Fredericksburg officials.
The Fredericksburg NAACP also expressed several concerns, which Baroody relayed in his letter. In particular, that organization asked for updates on voluntary safety measures adopted by CSX in the wake of the East Palestine (Ohio) derailments last year. That derailment, which involved a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous chemicals, spawned significant environmental and health concerns.
“We specifically need CSX to address the safety implications of derailments concerning petroleum pipelines located in close proximity to the railroad within the Mayfield community,” the letter reads.
Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D-Fredericksburg) sent CSX her own list of follow-up questions on the derailment. Spanberger characterized the prevention of future incidents as “non-negotiable.”
“How is CSX communicating with affected residents regarding information about compensation or assistance your company will provide to those who suffered property damage?” Spanberger asked via a July 25 letter to CSX CEO Joseph Hinrichs.
She also inquired about the proximity of “split-point” derailment devices to residential areas in Fredericksburg and other jurisdictions in the state. The devices are intended to divert loose cars before they reach the main rail line.
In closing, Baroody invited CSX officials to brief members of Fredericksburg’s City Council ahead of their Aug. 27 meeting.
“Our goal is to ensure that this type of incident never occurs again in the City of Fredericksburg, and we thank you for working to make this happen,” he wrote.
