Sheriff’s Office adds to train derailment information; Route 55 could be closed various times over the weekend

A Warren County Sheriff’s Office Press Release on the Linden train derailment was distributed from the County Administration Office at 12:19 p.m. Friday. That release presented some seemingly contradictory information on the number of train cars being pulled by the involved five-locomotive engine apparatus. The sheriff’s office release cited 12 cars, as opposed to the 50 mentioned, with 14 leaving the tracks, in an “Incident Report” posted earlier on the Warren County Fire & Rescue Facebook page.

Calls to the Sheriff’s Office and Fire & Rescue to attempt to clarify the discrepancy prior to publication were unsuccessful.

Sheriff Butler asks that drivers consider using an alternate route instead of Route 55 toward Linden. Watch for detours and stopped traffic in that area.

Here is the WCSO release in its entirety:

“An inter-agency response that included members from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, Warren County Fire & Rescue, Virginia State Police (VSP), and Norfolk Southern Railroad (NSR) occurred on Friday, May 29, 2020 at approximately 8:52 AM due to a train derailment.

“The train consisted of five locomotives and twelve cars, mostly empty at the time of the incident. No fire or explosion occurred, no hazardous materials were involved, and no injuries were reported. The cause of the incident is undetermined at this time; however, it is under investigation by the VSP and NSR.

“As of 10:15 AM, the derailment did not affect vehicular traffic on major County roads or the interstate. The only affected area consisted of four small roadways in proximity to the incident. These roads are Pickrell Drive, Keyser Wood Lane, Winona Drive, and Red Barn Lane. There are approximately ten residences in that area, all have been notified by the Warren County 911 Center by use of the reverse 911 System and RAVE alert system.

“The time for reopening of all roadways is estimated to be between 08:00 and 10:00 PM this evening. Updates to follow if this time changes.”

See Royal Examiner’s on-site video of the derailed train scene with a related story:

No injuries or immediate threat determined from Linden train derailment