FREDERICKSBURG ADVANCE, ADELE UPHAUS

Rep. Abigail Spanberger sent a letter today to CSX president and CEO Joseph Hinrichs demanding “immediate and comprehensive answers regarding the alarming freight train derailment on the evening of July 20, 2024, in Fredericksburg, Virginia.”

The company said yesterday during a briefing that the derailment and subsequent damage were caused by “human error”—specifically, the crew’s failure to properly tie down train cars that then reached a split-rail device, forcing them off track.

The event in Fredericksburg was quickly followed by another CSX derailment in Niagara Falls, New York, on Monday, an event that “raises pressing concerns about the effectiveness and reliability of CSX’s rail safety measures and protocols,” Spanberger wrote in her letter to Hinrichs.

“This troubling pattern of incidents underscores the urgent need for a thorough and immediate review, coupled with substantive improvements, to ensure the safety and security of all communities along CSX rail lines,” she continued.

According to a press release from Spanberger’s office, the representative asked CSX to share the incident report for the Fredericksburg derailment and to provide information on the locations of other split-rail devices across Virginia and their proximity to homes, a timeline for inspection of these devices, and a plan to prevent similar derailments.

“Additionally, Spanberger asked how the company is working to rebuild trust in the community, communicate with impacted residents, and compensate these Virginians for damages to their property,” the press release states.