Freight train derailment in Station Square snarls South Hills commute
Photo courtesy of Port Authority
Photo courtesy of Port Authority
Photo courtesy of Port Authority
The double-stacked Norfolk Southern boxcars crushed the Port Authority’s light rail tracks and overhead electrical wires next to East Carson Street in Pittsburgh, but appeared to narrowly miss the Station Square trolley platform.
A freight train that derailed near Station Square flung several loaded boxcars onto the Port Authority’s trolley tracks below, stranding countless people attending events in Pittsburgh and snarling the commute in and out of the city.
No one was injured Aug. 5 when the train carrying household items such as food, beverages and hygiene products left the Norfolk Southern tracks shortly after 1 p.m. and barreled down a hillside, but the T’s inbound and outbound routes are closed indefinitely while the boxcars are removed and repairs are made. The double-stacked boxcars crushed the Port Authority’s light rail tracks and overhead electrical wires next to East Carson Street, but appeared to narrowly miss the Station Square trolley platform.
The derailment came as downtown was packed with people attending the Three Rivers Regatta and Pittsburgh Pirates game. Port Authority spokesman Adam Brandolph said a light rail car left Station Square just a few minutes earlier, which would’ve been an “absolute catastrophic disaster” had it still been stopped at the platform with people on board.
“We count our blessings,” Brandolph said. “We were very, very fortunate that no one was injured.”
The focus now is on the length of time it will take Norfolk Southern to remove the freight cars to allow the Port Authority to make repairs on the system. Brandolph said the authority is “hoping it’s closer to days, not weeks” when the line will be fully operational again.
Norfolk Southern spokesman Jon Glass said the company is investigating what caused the train, which had three locomotives and 57 loaded intermodal rail cars traveling west to Chicago, to leave the tracks.
But for now, it has caused extensive delays for the morning commute. A plan to run the trolley cars over Mt. Washington through the Allentown neighborhood of Pittsburgh was going well early in the Aug. 6 commute until crews working to remove the freight cars triggered a safety mechanism, causing the overhead electrical wires to de-energize, shutting off power to the line, Brandolph said. That forced the authority to transport commuters on shuttle buses, which lengthened travel time.
The delays were felt all along the line.
A Port Authority employee working the kiosk at the South Hills Village station in Bethel Park posted a sign announcing free fares to riders Aug. 6 because of the disruption. She said there were several people who turned around and just drove into the city because of the delays with shuttles.
By the afternoon, the trains were on schedule again after the Allentown line was reopened around 2 p.m. Brandolph said the Port Authority expected the Allentown route to be available while repairs are being made.
Bonnie Lawrence of Dormont said it took her husband an hour to get to work this morning, compared to what is normally a 25-minute trip. She’s been relying on the Port Authority’s Twitter account for information, though she said there’s been some confusion with the situation.
“Overall, though, I thing they’re doing the best they can,” she said. “This is going to be a mess for a while.”
Tenisha Watson of Carrick said her commute took an extra 20 minutes because she typically relies on the Station Square stop. She had to board a train at South Hills Junction instead.
The closure has caused problems elsewhere, including other transportation services that use the tunnel that connects South Hills Junction to Station Square. Mid Mon Valley Transit Authority officials said they expected delays for their Commuter A and Express buses that have to detour around the tunnel heading to and from Pittsburgh.