CSX train carrying hazardous materials derails in Falmouth

FALMOUTH, Ky. (WTVQ) Like many Karen Beagle and her 8-year-old granddaughter Riley Florer flocked to this overpass on US 27 to take a look at the damage from above.

Florer says, “It looks cool and I wanna see what it looks like.”

24 cars came off the tracks, disrupting classes at the elementary school just down the street. On board the train some of the cars were carrying hazardous material like biodiesel fuel and sulphuric acid. Pendleton County Elementary students like third grader Riley Florer were bused to the high school as a precaution.

Riley Florer says, “It was kind of weird.”

But she was not far from her grandmother who works as at the high school as an aid.

Beagle says, “We didn’t know if it was a toxic spill….if it was just a normal spill. People were saying they were going to evacuate the town. So we really didn’t know what was happening.”

Everyone was told stay indoors, shut their windows, and turn off their air conditioning.

“I was worried about the people that was in Falmouth. Especially since the elderly people with breathing problems especially since when they said they had to turn off their air conditioning because of the fumes.”

But through it all, students like Riley kept calm continuing class on the third day of school.

“I was with my teacher and my classmates and I was fine.”

And it was a big relief for emergency management officials who later in the afternoon announced.

Pendleton County Emergency Management Director Mike Moore says, “There’s no hazmat leaking at all. The only cars that were damaged in the derailment was a fertilizer car carrying dry fertilizer.”

It’s still unclear how the train came off the tracks…and the investigation could take months.

“We were relieved that there was nothing toxic on it. We don’t want to be out of our homes do we?” she says to Riley as Riley shakes her head.

CSX officials couldn’t get specific about how long the clean-up process will take. It all depends on how hard it is for heavy machinery to get down there to remove those cars, especially taking care with some of those cars that have hazardous material. All roads and highways re-opened around 3pm on Wednesday except for those going directly over the tracks. Officials warn people to stay away from the tracks as they work to clean up the cars. For further questions call dispatch at for non-emergency inquiries at 859-654-6540.