OCONEE, Ga. — A road is still closed in Washington County after an early morning train derailment sent 32 cars off the tracks.
Washington County Sheriff Joel Cochran says it happened around 1 a.m. in the small town of Oconee, which sits a few miles southwest of Sandersville.
Around noon Monday, Norfolk Southern was working to put down new track after clearing the cars involved.
Sheriff Joel Cochran says the stretch that runs about a half-mile or so will be closed through Monday night and maybe into Tuesday morning.
Norfolk Southern sent the following statement to 13WMAZ: “Shortly before 1 a.m. today, approximately 32 rail cars on a Norfolk Southern train derailed in Oconee, Georgia, according to preliminary reports. There were no reported injuries to the train crew. Norfolk Southern personnel and contractors are on-site working with local responders to coordinate cleanup and recovery efforts.
The westbound mixed-freight train was en route from Columbia, South Carolina, to Macon, Georgia, when the incident occurred. The cause of the derailment is under investigation.”
Atlanta Gas Light also issued a statement in response to the derailment: “Atlanta Gas Light is on scene supporting first responders during the cleanup efforts for the train derailment in Washington County. At this time, there are no impacts to our infrastructure or interruptions to service; however, safety is our highest priority, and we are conducting a thorough inspection of our facilities to ensure operations continue safely.”
A train also derailed in Washington County in September 2020 after tropical system Sally caused heavy rains that washed out roads and caused flooding there.