The train that derailed on Saturday, July 20, 2024, at Cobblestone Square, an apartment complex in Fredericksburg, had been experiencing mechanical issues, so the train was parked at the city’s Virginia Railway Express (commuter rail) station before moving to its final destination in Richmond. The two crew members on board did not secure the train cars properly, resulting in five cars derailing, said Randy Marcus, a CSX spokesman during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

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Update July 23: City Council members will attend the CSX public statement on July 24. The event is at 3 p.m. in the gravel parking lot behind VRE Lots G and H. The entrance is at the corner of Prince Edward and Frederick Streets.

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Update 1:30 p.m. -- CSX, the corporation that owns the railroad, just provided us with a statement. The incident involved no hazardous materials or injuries, with first responders swiftly addressing the situation while the cause is under investigation.

At approximately 9:00 p.m. yesterday , a CSX train derailed several rail cars near Cobblestone Dr. in Fredricksburg, VA. A garage structure adjacent to the rail line was impacted by the incident. No hazardous materials were involved and there were no reports of injuries. CSX appreciates the swift response of the Fredricksburg City first responders. The safety of response personnel and the surrounding community is our top priority as we work to recover the derailed cars and work to completely restore the area. The cause of the incident is under investigation.

Updated 8 a.m. Sunday: A freight train derailed and collided with buildings at the Cobblestone Square apartment complex near the city's train station. No one was injured. More from Fredericksburg police:

On July 20, 2024, at approximately 8:50 p.m., the Fredericksburg Police Department's E-911 Center received a call about a train derailment. Police officers and the fire department arrived at the scene, located at Cobblestone Square, at 8:54 p.m. They found that a CSX Freight Train had derailed and collided with the garage buildings on the property. The property is separated from the train tracks by a large wall located behind the garage buildings. Five cars of the CSX Freight Train had derailed and crashed into the large wall, causing it to collapse into four garages. Thankfully, there were no injuries since the train had no passengers on board. The Fire Department conducted a preliminary search of the area and found no injuries, only property damage. Although hazardous materials were found on the train car, they were secure and were not part of the derailed cars. At the time of this release, the Fire Department, Police Department, and building officials were still at the scene. CSX will be taking over the investigation.

Amtrak, which also uses the line, tells us there is no disruption in service.

News Release: CSX Freight Train Derails into Cobblestone Square

On July 20, 2024, at approximately 8:50 p.m., the Fredericksburg Police Department's E-911 Center received a call about a train derailment. Police officers and the fire department arrived at the scene, located at… pic.twitter.com/UaIKSNZ9nH — FredericksburgPolice (@FXBGPolice) July 21, 2024

? Active Event ?

There has been a train derailment in the area of 400 block Cobblestone Drive. Seven cars derailed and struck a structure behind Cobblestone. No hazardous materials were on board and so far, there are no known injuries. There is no threat to the general public.… pic.twitter.com/hv6XNfjQ02 — FredericksburgPolice (@FXBGPolice) July 21, 2024