Trains Resume After Plainfield Derailment

PLAINFIELD, IL — Cleanup was underway Saturday morning after a Canadian National train derailed south of the 143rd Street crossing, with at least two cars leaking as much as 45,000 gallons of crude oil Friday night in Plainfield. Late Saturday, Canadian National spokesman Patrick Waldron said crews were working through the night and expected to reopen the track to train traffic on Sunday morning. But the incident and related cleanup will result in a slowdown for train traffic.

"Trains will operate through the derailment area and as a result much of Plainfield at reduced speeds for some time after traffic resumes," Waldron said.

While no homes were evacuated, some businesses near the site of the derailment did close on Friday.

On Saturday, Plainfield police said all businesses on 143rd Street between Van Dyke Road and Route 59 have been authorized to resume business. Businesses on Riverwalk Court are expected to remain closed "for the next day or two," police said, adding that residents are in no immediate danger and the spill has been contained.

There were no reports of injuries and no fire due to the spill.

Canadian National is conducting mitigation efforts through a contractor, Hulcher Services, and cleanup is expected to last several days. Police said representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency were on scene and there were no reports of crude oil leaking into the DuPage River.

Police said the cause of the derailment is being investigated by the Federal Railroad Administration. On Saturday morning, Will County Board members Gretchen Fritz (R-Plainfield) and Darren Bennefield (R-Aurora) issued a press release calling for "swift and thorough investigation."

“I am extremely grateful that there have been no injuries reported from this accident so far, but we are facing a dangerous situation that requires a massive cleanup effort,” Fritz said. “I’m looking forward to a full and thorough investigation. We can’t afford to have something happen like this and put our residents at risk.”

Bennefield said Canadian National and other railroads "must be extra diligent to ensure this type of accident never happens again. The stakes are simply too high to compromise safety in any way, shape or form. This underscores the need for us as a nation to pay more attention to rail safety as more hazardous freight is hauled across the country, especially through Chicago and our backyards."

At a press conference Saturday morning, Plainfield Police Chief John Konopek said there is "no measurable risk to the community" as a result of the incident.