Officials believe the high water table caused the railroad tracks to become unstable
The site of the first Amherst train derailment on Station Road. A second derailment followed nearby less than a month later. AMHERST – While federal and train officials continue to investigate the exact cause of two recent train derailments, the cause is likely deterioration of the track beds caused by the high water table beneath it.
Town Manager John P. Musante told the Select Board this week that he has talked to officials and the “current working theory” is that higher than usual water table caused by the severe winter and rainy spring created the instability on the tracks near at the site of the derailments. The site of the derailments were relatively near Lawrence Swamp.
There were two seven-car derailments one on May 31 and a second June 25. The train in both accidents is owned by New England Central Railroad, the St. Albans, Vt., company that operates on the 400 miles of track between the Vermont and Quebec borders and New London, Conn. No one was injured in either derailment and the cars did not contain hazardous material.
The first accident resulted in the closing of Station Road for a nearly a week, the second closed the tracks but Station Road was not effected.
Both the National Transportation and Safety Board and the Federal Railroad Authority are investigating.
Musante said the tracks have been repaired and that a so-called geometry car - an automated track inspection vehicle - will be testing the “success of the repairs to make sure the tracks can withstand (the weight.)”
He said train officials have examined all of the tracks in Amherst to insure they are safe and temporary reductions of train speeds have been imposed.
Musante said Fire Chief Tim Nelson, who heads emergency management services for the town, has been meeting with the railroad general manager. “I feel like we’re on top of the situation,” Musante said.
Amtrak’s Vermonter line passes through Amherst twice a day as part of Amtrak service between St. Albans and Washington, D.C. New England Central Railroad transports freight through the town.