Fredericksburg Mayor Kerry Devine Talks Train Safety, Data Center Plans

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Fredericksburg Mayor Kerry P. Devine recently spoke with Potomac Local in a one-on-one interview, addressing the city’s response to a train derailment and the prospect of new data centers.

The CSX train derailment occurred on July 19, 2024, near Cobblestone Drive. Several rail cars derailed, damaging a garage adjacent to the Cobblestone Square apartment complex. Fortunately, no hazardous materials were involved, and there were no reports of injuries.

CSX stated during a press conference that they did not know the whereabouts of the train crew during the derailment. The train engine had been experiencing trouble before the derailment, and the crew parked the Richmond-bound train next to Cobblestone Square. “I think it’s a not unusual practice to do that if an engine has trouble, that they would park the cars and go get it fixed…but not ensuring that the brakes were all on, and not ensuring that that train was really secure, certainly, I hope wouldn’t be [standard practice].

The residents of Cobblestone Square expressed frustration and nervousness. “They’re frustrated, they’re a little nervous, and certainly wanting answers,” said Mayor Devine. However, she acknowledged that the swift removal of the derailed cars was a positive outcome.

Here’s the letter City Manager Timothy Baroody sent to CSX, seeking assurances from CSX that a similar derailment won’t happen again.

Devine also discussed the potential impact of the incident on future rail projects in Virginia. The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation continues to work to expand the state’s passenger rail network and is eyeing the purchase of the Norfolk-Southern railroad’s B-line, which runs through Manassas. When asked if this derailment may spur more conversations about the state purchasing additional track segments, Devine said, “I think that’s a possibility. We aim to be at the table. We aim to be part of those discussions.”

According to the Fredericksburg Metropolitan Planning Organization, a third railroad track is already scheduled to be built in Fredericksburg and southern Stafford County. A public meeting for the project is scheduled for September, and we will interview FAMPO Director Ian Ollis later this week to learn more.

You are invited to join, learn more, and make your voice heard at the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority’s public meeting on September 18th, 2024 at Conway Elementary School in Stafford County, VA!

Read more about these projects at https://t.co/15Ex8GAnJC pic.twitter.com/T49ThJel6V

— FAMPO (@FAMPO_VA) July 29, 2024

Devine also addressed the prospect of data centers being built at Celebrate Virginia South, near the Fredericksburg Nationals baseball stadium. The City Council has ordered a study before any data center construction. Mayor Devine noted, “We’re just looking at the consideration because we’d be foolish not to have it in discussions.”

At a recent City Council meeting, At-large member Will Mackintosh emphasized the potential employment benefits of data centers. “Data centers produce many fairly highly trained and well-paid jobs,” he said. However, Mayor Devine was more cautious about the employment impact. “I don’t think anyone’s characterized [data centers] as a big employer,” she said. “But no, I don’t think we’re talking about thousands of jobs ongoing.”

Regarding environmental concerns, Mayor Devine stated, “Some of the newer facilities obviously recirculate water use which is a huge issue for me. And just the esthetics… there are things that have come a long way since the first data centers were introduced.”

When asked if companies like Amazon or Microsoft had approached the city, Devine confirmed, “We have.” However, she emphasized that the city has not committed to any firm to allow a data center to be built. She also said the city has not signed a non-disclosure agreement with any firm, which is common among data center projects.

The centers, built-in campuses, most of which are multiple football fields in size and more than 70 feet tall, power the Internet. They use large amounts of electricity and water to cool the computer servers. They employ only a handful of people and are mostly stacked with computer servers.

In recent years, there has been a proliferation of data centers in surrounding areas like Prince William County and, more recently, Stafford and Spotsylvania counties. Elected officials are drawn to the prospect of data centers in their communities because of the promise of higher tax revenues, with little or no public infrastructure investment. The centers don’t generate vehicular traffic due to the few people they employ.