News & Reviews News Wire Short line derailment is third in Mississippi in three days (corrected)

Short line derailment is third in Mississippi in three days (corrected)

By Trains Staff | July 7, 2025

NS, CN trains derailed on Friday, Saturday

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Logo of Grenada RailroadSARDIS, Miss. — Twenty-seven cars of a Grenada Railroad train derailed Sunday (July 6, 2025) in Sardis, Miss., the third significant derailment in the state in three two days.

The Oxford Eagle reports the incident occurred Sunday evening and involved cars carrying corn and sulfuric acid, and occurred in a remote location difficult to access. No leaks were reported, and there were no reports of injuries.  Panola County Emergency Operations said in a social media post late Sunday that the scene has been “contained and controlled,” and clean-up was beginning. That will take several days, the agency said.

Sardis about 50 miles south of Memphis on the Grenada Railroad, a 228-mile Pinsly Railroads short line on the former CN Grenada Subdivision.

The railroad parallels CN’s Yazoo Subdivision, where 13 cars of a train derailed Saturday in Glendora, Miss. [see “CN derailment in Mississippi …,” Trains News Wire, July 5, 2025]. In that incident, a tank car of benzene caught fire, leading to a mandatory evacuation of local residents. The National Transportation Safety Board is now investigating that incident [see “NTSB now on scene …,” News Wire, July 6, 2025].

Amtrak’s website indicates the Glendora incident will lead to cancellation of today’s City of New Orleans in both directions between Carbondale, Ill., and New Orleans, a third straight day of disruptions for that service because of the Glendora incident.

Eighteen cars of a Norfolk Southern train also derailed Friday in Petal, Miss., in the southern part of the state, roughly midway between Jackson, Miss., and Mobile, Ala., and adjacent to Hattiesburg. There were no injuries. The Hattiesburg American reports some denatured alcohol spilled from one of the tank cars in that derailment.

— Corrected to note derailment was on Grenada Railroad at 1:01 p.m. CT. Trains News Wire regrets the error.

11 thoughts on “Short line derailment is third in Mississippi in three days (corrected)

  1. The chain is as strong as its weakest link. So, what happens when the suits realize the weakest links are on sale?

  2. Article is still incorrect. It was a CN train with a CN crew and Grenada Railroad pilot detouring over the Grenada Railroad.

  3. Back weekend for derailments in Mississippi ? Three derailments on two railroads? Yes, what are the odds of this …?

  4. The line from Memphis south to Canton is operated by the Grenada Railroad. Was this a detour move?

  5. Same state, same railroad, three days of derailments…. I wonder what the odds on that are?

    1. @Charles Powell: I realized that after I posted the comment. What I wouldn’t do for an ‘edit comment’ button!

    2. No problem, Alex, we could all use an edit button every now and then.

    3. Three derailments are too many and quite thought-provoking…

      Dr. Güntürk Üstün

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