Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (GWI) (NYSE: GWR) provided the following update
on yesterday's derailment that occurred just west of Myrtlewood, Ala.
Six people were injured when a freight train carrying segments of solid
rocket boosters for NASA derailed on GWI's Meridian & Bigbee Railroad
(M&B). Five of the injured were accompanying the booster segments in a
passenger car that derailed. Two of the five were airlifted to nearby
hospitals with injuries that have been reported as not life-threatening.
The sixth person injured was the locomotive engineer, who is an M&B
employee. He sustained cuts and bruises and was treated and released
yesterday.
No other injuries were reported.
The derailment occurred as the eastbound train with two locomotives and
14 cars reached the east end of a 650-foot-long, 10-foot-high trestle
over a slough, or boggy area. The trestle failed in the incident, with
the two locomotives and four cars derailing. The cargo did not spill.
A full investigation of the incident is underway. Repairs to the
under-deck structure of the trestle were completed by a bridge
contractor earlier this week, and the trestle was tested prior to being
placed back in service yesterday morning. Whether any connection exists
between the repairs and the incident will be determined by the
investigation.
The M&B received the train in Meridian, Miss., for delivery to
Montgomery, Ala.
Representatives of the booster segment manufacturer; NASA; federal and
state railroad authorities; the EPA; the Alabama Emergency Management
Agency; and a derailment-response contractor were all at the scene by
last evening, as well as GWI personnel including Chief Operating Officer
Jim Benz and Vice President of Safety Gerry Gates.
"Our foremost thoughts and concerns are with the injured," said Mortimer
B. Fuller, chairman and chief executive officer of GWI. "Safety is the
number- one priority of our company. A thorough investigation will be
conducted to determine exactly what happened."
Benz said that daily M&B traffic of approximately 100 freight cars in
each direction would be temporarily rerouted while the damage from
yesterday's incident is repaired. He said it is too early to know how
long repairs would take, pending the investigation, but anticipates one
month. Cleanup and repairs were underway last night and this morning.
GWI is a leading operator of short line and regional freight railroads
in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia and Bolivia. Operations
currently include 48 railroads organized in 10 regions, as well as
service at 12 U.S. ports, contract coal loading and industrial
switching. GWI operates more than 6,800 miles of owned and leased track
and approximately 3,700 additional miles under track access arrangements.
CONTACT: Michael E. Williams, Director, Corporate Communications, of
Genesee & Wyoming Inc., +1-203-413-2116.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding Genesee &
Wyoming's business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking
statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of
such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ
from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk
Factors" in the Company's Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most
recently ended fiscal year.
Genesee & Wyoming Inc.
Michael E. Williams, 1-203-413-2116
Director
Corporate Communications
http://www.gwrr.com/