A train derailment occurred near the Saginaw River in the city of Saginaw, took place shortly before 2 p.m. on Sunday. Lake State Railway officials confirmed there were no injuries, and hazardous materials were not involved. The southbound train, which was carrying corn, encountered its mishap along Niagara Street, causing a number of its cars to spill their cargo onto the river bank and halt traffic in the vicinity.
According to ABC12, Saginaw County officials have urged the public to avoid the area as comprehensive cleanup efforts are underway. The railroad crossings within approximately a mile of the incident site remain closed for several hours, affecting the flow of traffic and commercial activities around the affected zone.
Speaking to The Detroit News, Mark Rosner, the Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Lake State Railway Company, detailed immediate recovery actions saying, "The first thing we do is we start vacuuming out the rail cars filled with corn so we can pick them up." Rosner shared that specialty equipment would be brought in to reposition the cars back onto the tracks.
Rosner also mentioned in an interview with Audacy that determining the cause of the derailment is expected to require several days or weeks as investigators sort through the locomotives’ black box recorders. The lines on which the accident occurred belong to Huron and Eastern Railway but are used by Lake State Railway to transport various commodities.
Clean-up efforts and the investigation into the incident are ongoing, with further updates expected.
