Failed wheel bearing caused Kentucky train derailment but didn’t trigger alarms beforehand, CSX says

By REBECCA REYNOLDS and JOSH FUNK
Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — CSX says a failed wheel bearing on a train car caused a derailment that sparked a chemical fire in a small Kentucky town. The accident happened Wednesday and forced people nearby out of their homes until Thanksgiving afternoon. The railroad said Monday that trains resumed running over the tracks by midday Sunday. All 16 railcars involved in the derailment were removed from the site. Crews also removed the spilled chemical and 2,500 tons of impacted soil and replaced it with clean material. A CSX spokesman said no sulfur dioxide has been detected in the area since the fire was extinguished Thursday. About 400 people so far have sought reimbursement from the railroad for costs related to the derailment.