How many train derailments have there been in the US in 2023? Nebraska train crash clip goes viral in wake of Ohio explosion

The recent train derailment in Ohio is among a dozen rail accidents in the United States that have been reported since the beginning of 2023.

In the Ohio derailment, carriages from a 150-car freightliner carrying hazardous chemicals collapsed off the tracks in Ohio’s East Palestine. The incident took place on February 3, 2023.

Another recent derailment occurred in Nebraska early on February 21, 2023, as reported by Union Pacific Railroad. Around 31 carriages containing coal derailed in Nebraska’s Gothenburg around 1:45 pm. A video clip of the scene was shared on Twitter.

Fortunately, no injuries have been reported and cleanup has begun. The three tracks closer to the derailment were reopened again at around 8 am.

According to initial reports from the scene, toxic materials were spilled due to the crash, however, Union Pacific denied any involvement of a hazmat. The cause of the derailment is currently being investigated.

On Monday, another train from Union Pacific derailed in California’s Riverbank, which involved four cars, and occurred around 3:45 am. Even in this case, the Union Pacific officials claimed that no hazmat was involved and that there were no injuries. The incident is also being investigated.

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Some residents of East Palestine had to be evacuated due to the chemical spill from the Ohio train derailment

The incident in East Palestine was not the first rail accident to happen in Ohio in 2023. The first derailment took place between Adam’s Mill and Trinway on January 19, 2023.

In the January incident, an Ohio Central Railroad train consisting of 97 carriages stretching over 1.2 miles, slid off the tracks. It is worth noting that the carriages were empty at the time, nobody was hurt, and the train also did not leak any cargo.

However, the incident in East Palestine shed new light on the country's under-reported sector of the railroad and its challenges.

The derailment near East Palestine took place shortly after 9 pm on February 3, 2023, and 38 Norfolk Southern carriages slid off the rails. Investigators later determined the cause of the accident to be a broken axle, ten of which were carrying toxic materials cross-country.

Although no one was harmed in the incident, more than 2000 of the approximately 4800 residents of East Palestine were temporarily evacuated from the area. They were evacuated as the chemical spill generated health concerns.

Five of the tankers involved in the crash contained vinyl chloride, which is used to make plastic pipes, cable coatings, wires, and car parts. However, this compound can also cause cancer.

As part of the cleanup operation after the spill, emergency crews intentionally breached the compound to divert the substance into an excavated trench. The crew also executed a controlled burn of the material to prevent an explosion. However, it sent noxious black clouds into the atmosphere.

East Palestine residents who were evacuated have since been permitted to return home. They returned after the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency monitored air and water contaminants in the area since the accident. The detected levels of contamination were not significant enough to cause a fatal or lasting health impact.

Three other train accidents were also reported in South Carolina earlier this year. On January 9, 2023, a derailment took place near Lake City, and a few weeks later, on January 21, 2023, another incident occurred near Loris. Yet another incident took place on February 12, near Enoree.

Two more accidents occurred in rural California as well. A few others were in Philadelphia, Detroit, Alaska, Alabama, Texas, and Louisiana.

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics recorded 54,539 train derailments in the U.S. between 1990 to 2021 which makes the number of accidents 1704 per year. However, the fatality rate from such train accidents is low. On average, four deaths occur per year.