Investigations continue after five wagons derailed

There have been at least 40 derailments in South Carolina in the past three years, including one in Anderson County that is still under investigation.

Aerial photographs show five train carriages that derailed near the town of Belton on Thursday morning.

Greenville and Western Railway officials said three of the cars were loaded with ethanol. Two of those cars overturned. They also said two cars loaded with wood pulp also derailed in the incident.

“They will begin unloading the product that’s in there (on Friday). There’s no concern that anything will spill or leak,” said Cade Treffeisen, deputy director of Anderson County Emergency Management.

Steven Hawkins, CEO and president of the railroad company, released a statement that read in part:

“The incident remains under investigation and we are working with both the FRA and SCORS to determine the cause, complete all mandatory reporting requirements, and monitor track repairs.”

Data from the Federal Railroad Administration shows that the Greenville and Western Railway has not had a derailment in the last three years.

Officials say trains are running slowly in Anderson County.

“They drive less than 20 miles per hour, usually around 5 miles per hour,” Treffeisen said.

Data shows that Anderson County has not had a derailment since 2021, when there were two derailments there.

There were five derailments in the Upstate in 2022, but they occurred in Greenville and Spartanburg counties.

“Most derailments happen in rail yards, so there aren’t that many of them a year that are really big events that disrupt a community,” says Andrew Pyle, a professor of crisis communications at Clemson University.

District officials said they are prepared for anything that might happen.

“We can go to a real railroad car and learn about the different attachments and the like for unloading that product and potential weak points,” Treffeisen said.

Late Friday afternoon, workers were busy repairing the tracks where the derailment had occurred.

No official cause for the derailment has been announced.