Train derails in Peach County, closes short railroad line for about a week

A train derailment Monday morning has closed a short railroad line from Fort Valley to Perry for likely a week, a railroad company official says.

No one was hurt when the Georgia Southern Railroad train of two locomotives and 21 encased tank cars derailed about 10:18 a.m.

Six of the tank cars weighing at least 286,000 pounds overturned on the tracks that parallel Ga. 341 but remained intact, said Tom Black, vice president for safety and transportation for the railroad.

The closure impacts about five railroad customers, including Reeves Construction, which was expecting the shipment of asphalt, Black said.

The derailment also blocked the northern end of Gracewood Road, a dirt road. Railroad crews were dispatched Monday afternoon to detach and move the standing cars over the Gracewood Road railroad crossing.

But the six overturned cars will take more time to remove from the track, with the railroad line expected to be closed for about a week, Black said.

The cause of the derailment has not yet been determined, and an investigator was on site Monday. Speed was not a factor, and the tracks were well maintained, Black said.

Peach County sheriff’s deputies dispatched to the scene took some photos that were posted to the agency’s Facebook page.

“We have all kinds of trains around here, and it’s rare for us to have a derailment like that,” Sheriff Terry Deese said.

“We’re just glad nobody was hurt.”

This story was originally published March 13, 2017 at 11:49 AM with the headline "Train derails in Peach County, closes short railroad line for about a week."