HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. — A CSX freight train derailed near Harpers Ferry, West Virginia just before 3 a.m.
The derailment site is on the Maryland side of the rail bridge that goes over the Potomac River. Washington County dispatchers said two of the derailed cars went off the bridge.
The cars were empty and no one was hurt. CSX is currently investigating the incident.
"This morning at about 2:30 a.m., an eastbound train derailed 7 empty grain cars between Harpers Ferry, WV and Brunswick, MD," a press release said. "Two of the seven cars slid into the Potomac River. All seven cars were empty and there were no hazardous materials involved and no injuries as a result of the derailment. CSX appreciates the swift response of the West Virginia and Maryland first responders. CSX will work swiftly and safely in the cleanup and to restore the area. The cause of the derailment is under investigation."
This isn't the first time a CSX train has derailed. In 2018, a freight train derailed on a bridge over a river in Maryland.
The Baltimore Sun reported that the accident caused four rail cars to fall into the Susquehanna River. No on one was injured. Hazardous materials weren't involved.
The CSX train derailed about 8 p.m. near Perryville, Maryland, which is about an hour northeast of Baltimore along the I-95 corridor. The train was headed for Richmond, Virginia.
Officials said the cause remains under investigation. They couldn't say whether strong winds wrought by the nor'easter that struck the East Coast on Friday had contributed. Officials had closed nearby bridges for cars and trucks because of the high winds.
CSX was working with federal, state and local officials to remove the rail cars from the water.
Also in 2018, two women were struck and killed by a CSX train in Germantown.
Around 8:28 p.m. officers responded to the railroad tracks in the area of Waring Station Road and Peach Crest Drive for the report of two pedestrians who were hit by a CSX train.
It isn't clear why the two women were in the area of the tracks when they were hit by a westbound CSX train. They both died from their injuries at the scene.
The investigation also revealed that the train operator saw the two women and blew the train's horn. The operator also tried to stop the train.
Officials have identified the victims as 25-year-old as Daianne Peralta and 30-year-old Cristina Segovia.
