News & Reviews News Wire Cleanup continues from BNSF derailment in East Galesburg, Ill.

Cleanup continues from BNSF derailment in East Galesburg, Ill.

By Trains Staff | August 12, 2022

| Last updated on February 23, 2024


Grade crossing at site of Aug. 3 incident not likely to reopen until next week

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Heavy equipment working on railroad tracks with derailed cars off to one side
Heavy equipment works to restore BNSF rail lines after an Aug. 3 derailment in East Galesburg, Ill. Both tracks were reopened by Aug. 5, but a grade crossing at the scene remains closed. (Jeremy J. Schrader)

EAST GALESBURG, Ill. — A grade crossing remains closed and cleanup is ongoing in the wake of an Aug. 3 derailment of a BNSF Railway intermodal train, the Galesburg Register-Mail reports.

The State Street crossing at the derailment site is expected to reopen next week, a BNSF spokesman told the railroad. Darrell Corbin, acting mayor of the Village of East Galesburg, said debris is still being cleared from the area and the crossing itself needs repairs. Crews are awaiting the arrival of crossing panels to begin repairs.

BNSF spokesman Ben Wilemon said the cause of the derailment remains under investigation. The 18-car derailment closed both tracks of the railroad’s Southern Transcon; one track was reopened Aug. 4 and the second returned to service Aug. 5.

3 thoughts on “Cleanup continues from BNSF derailment in East Galesburg, Ill.

  1. I really don’t believe they don’t know the cause of the derailment after all this time. In my 30+ year career the cause was determined shortly after the top officers from operating, engineering and mechanical arrived on scene and figured out which dept. they could place the blame on. Signal dept. would sneak in too but usually they were good.
    Maybe they are waiting a year and a half or so for the feds report??

  2. Lookup the Railway Age article, “Management of In-Train Forces – Challenges and Directions” by Grady C. Cothen. Derailment trend seems to not have improved significantly in the last few years.

  3. Reading this article I am left
    Asking about safety in general
    along with trending of derailments year over year?

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