A Misaligned Railway Switch Sent a Train Into Chlorine Tankers

1. Siding Operation

On January 5, 2005, a Norfolk Southern local freight train parked on a siding near an industrial plant in Graniteville, South Carolina. The train crew cleared their track warrants before departing for the evening. The railroad switch for the siding was supposed to be returned and locked for mainline traffic operation. The crew's brakeman later stated he was uncertain if he properly aligned the switch.

No subsequent trains traversed the affected track section that day.

2. Early Morning Collision

At 2:38 a.m. on January 6, an oncoming Norfolk Southern freight train approached Graniteville transporting hazardous materials. The engineer spotted the misaligned switch and immediately applied emergency brakes. Due to insufficient stopping distance, the train was diverted onto the siding at 2:39 a.m. and collided with the parked local train.

The high-speed impact derailed both lead locomotives and multiple freight cars.

3. Chlorine Release

The derailed freight train included tank cars carrying chlorine gas, sodium hydroxide, and cresol. One tank car ruptured, releasing about 60 tons of toxic chlorine gas into the surrounding atmosphere. HAZMAT response teams and cleanup crews rushed to secure the area. Surrounding residents were ordered to evacuate immediately.

Approximately 5,400 residents within a one-mile radius evacuated for nearly two weeks.

4. Fatalities and Injuries

Eight people died at the scene of the disaster from trauma and toxic chlorine inhalation. Plant employees and nearby residents were overcome by the rapidly spreading chemical cloud. More than 250 individuals sought medical treatment for acute chlorine exposure. A local resident driving through the plume later succumbed to deteriorating health complications.

Emergency responders established triage centers at nearby local businesses.

5. NTSB Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board launched an investigation into the collision. Investigators determined the primary cause was the failure of the local train crew to reline the switch for mainline operations. Equipment failure, crew fatigue, and substance impairment were ruled out as contributing factors. The NTSB confirmed emergency responses were appropriate.

Federal regulators subsequently issued safety advisories regarding switch operation procedures.

6. Industrial Closures

The disaster severely damaged the nearby Avondale Mills textile plant, which accounted for a large portion of the company's sales. The facility remained incapacitated following the chemical spill and cleanup operations. Citing the derailment as the primary reason for corporate failure, the company announced the closure of all its operations.

The closure eliminated thousands of jobs across the region.

7. Legal Settlements

Norfolk Southern faced extensive litigation from residents, businesses, and corporate entities. The railroad reached preliminary settlement agreements with evacuated residents and negotiated compensation claims. Avondale Mills pursued litigation against the railway claiming operational negligence, which concluded with a confidential out-of-court settlement.

Insurance payouts and civil claims totaled tens of millions of dollars.

8. Environmental Penalties

The NTSB found that a hand-operated switch had been left in the wrong position, directing the moving freight train into the parked train. Chlorine released from a breached tank car caused deaths and injuries around the crash. Later enforcement and settlements addressed the consequences. The switch position was the initiating track-routing failure, distinct from the toxic release that made the collision deadly beyond the trains.

The wrongly aligned switch led to a collision and chlorine release.

Sources

• Original narrative adaptation — CC BY-SA 4.0
• Wikipedia contributors — Graniteville train crash (CC BY-SA 4.0)