Clean-up efforts are ongoing from a train derailment in Columbus early this morning.
Four cars from an Alabama Southern Railroad train derailed from a track near Alabama and South Lehmberg streets, according to Communications Director Tracy Vanbecelaere of Watco — the Kansas-based railroad company’s operator.
Vanbecelaere said three of the four cars were empty, while the fourth contained non-hazardous material. Only a single axle from each car derailed, she said. None of the cars tipped over.
Crews had already rerailed one of the cars by 9 a.m., Vanbecelaere said, and the others are expected to be back on track by 1 p.m. today. Vanbecelaere did not specify in a phone interview with The Dispatch this morning what caused the derailment.
“Sometimes they’ve got to get everything back on the track before they can see what the issue was,” she said.
No one was injured in the incident.
South Rail Corporation owns the track, according to Lowndes County tax records.
Police were still diverting traffic from Alabama, South Lehmberg and Yorkville streets near the scene as of press time.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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