On April 30, 2014, at 1:54 p.m. eastern daylight time, 17 CSX Transportation (CSXT)
tank cars on petroleum crude oil unit train K08227 derailed in Lynchburg, Virginia. Three of
the derailed cars were partially submerged in the James River. One was breached and released
about 29,868 gallons of crude oil into the river, some of which caught fire.
No injuries to the public or crew were reported. At the time of the accident, it was cloudy and
raining lightly; the temperature was 53° F. The CSXT estimated the damages at $1.2 million,
not including environmental remediation.
We determined that the probable cause of this accident was a broken rail caused by a reverse detail fracture with evidence of rolling contact fatigue.
