13 Cars Derail from CSX Train in Orono August 8

Thirteen of 32  rail cars derailed from a CSX train between Veazie and the Penobscot County Country Club last Saturday, according to the Bangor Daily News. The Orono Fire Department reported that crews were dispatched at approximately 4:35 p.m. and, after setting up a command post at the golf club, they located the front of the train 1.2 miles north of the Veazie and Main Street crossing.

No injuries were reported. Fire officials and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection reported that there were no leaks, spills or hazards to the public or the Penobscot River. The rail line was closed while the tracks were being repaired and inspected, but was reopened on Wednesday.

“The 2023 Rockwood derailment caused a large fire, injured three railroad workers, and resulted in fuel and other fluids reaching the Moose River,” said Dave Stevenson, New England Safety and Legislative Director of SMART Transportation Division, a union that represents CSX workers in Maine. “Now we have another derailment in Orono. These incidents are a reminder that rail safety must remain a priority in Maine—for railroad workers, our communities, and our environment.”