Congresswoman: “City Officials & Fredericksburg Residents Deserve to Trust that CSX is Operating Safely in Their Community”

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger this morning joined leaders from the City of Fredericksburg at the site of last month’s CSX Transportation freight train derailment and visited the nearby CSX rail yard in Fredericksburg’s Mayfield neighborhood.

On the evening of July 20, 2024, five cars from a CSX freight train derailed, flattened one building, and caused significant damage to a residential complex and Virginians’ personal property. The derailment was caused by a crew allegedly failing to properly tie down train cars that then reached a split-rail device, which forced the cars off the track.

During this morning’s visits, Spanberger, Vice-Mayor Charlie Frye, and additional local officials discussed CSX’s response in the weeks since the incident — the company’s continued engagement with area residents and city officials, work to compensate residents who suffered property damage, and plan to prevent further derailments in the future. Spanberger and the local officials also spoke to longstanding safety concerns regarding the Mayfield rail yard — including the proximity of the main rail line to homes on Railroad Avenue and the storage of CSX rail tanker cars containing hazardous and flammable materials for unspecified periods of time.

“I was in Fredericksburg this morning to listen to community leaders. I’m grateful to Vice-Mayor Frye and every local leader who came out to share their concerns, discuss the impacts of freight rail on the community, and help me determine how I can continue to provide support at the federal level.” said Spanberger. “The takeaway from last month’s derailment must be to guarantee that similar — or even more devastating — incidents do not occur into the future. CSX’s leadership must show a continued willingness to be transparent about their operations — and recent failures. Because city officials and Fredericksburg residents deserve to trust that CSX is operating safely in their community.”

Spanberger and Frye were joined on the visits by City Manager Tim Baroody, Fire Chief Michael Jones, Councilors Jannan Holmes, Will Mackintosh, and Jon Gerlach, Environmental & Climate Justice Committee Chair Sabrina Johnson from the Fredericksburg NAACP, and Mayfield Civic Association President Trudy Smith.

BACKGROUND

Following last month’s derailment, Spanberger pressed the CEO of CSX Transportation to further explain the failures which allowed this incident to occur near several residences, maintain communication with the City of Fredericksburg and the general public, and share the company’s plan to prevent future derailments.

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