Four railroad cars derailed in Neodesha at around 8:00 Thursday night.

The derailment caused Highway 75 and the SKO and Union Pacific Rail lines to be closed for nearly 10 hours.

The SKO train was moving at low speed at the time of the incident, which minimized damage, and no injuries have been reported. Although some of the rail cars carried Potassium Hydroxide, according to the incident commander, Neodesha Fire Chief Duane Banzet, there were no signs of leakage or spills.

The rail cars were not carrying the required placard information identifying the hazardous material, but the conductor was able to immediately provide a manifest to emergency responders, which identified the chemical so that appropriate protective measures could be taken if necessary. Neodesha Fire and Police first responders were assisted by Fredonia EMS and Emergency Manager Rick Brown.

The cause of the derailment is unknown at this time. The incident is being investigated by Federal Railroad Transportation Agency.

Heavy equipment was brought in by SKO to clear the tracks, which was accomplished without complications, and traffic was reopened at about 5:30 am. No damage estimates are available at this time.

Coincidentally, the Wilson County Local Emergency Planning Committee has recently been working on planning specifically for the possibility of a train derailment.

A tabletop exercise with a fictional derailment scenario including the presence of hazardous materials has already been scheduled for Thursday, September 11 for local emergency responders to come together and share ideas and expertise.

During a tabletop exercise, possible situations are considered, and appropriate emergency responses are suggested and evaluated. Collaborative planning for predictable events can make emergency response most effective.

The advance planning was helpful in this incident, according to Wilson County Emergency Manager, Rick Brown. Brown also said, “Our experience from this actual event also suggests areas where additional planning will be useful if a similar situation occurs in the future”.