Railroad Accident

Total Score=24

Definition

An accident or derailment involving multiple railroad cars that causes abnormal interaction with the general public by blocking roads and/or causing property damage, or potentially realeasing hazardous materials.

Background

Grand Trunk Railroad (Canadian National) lines run through Poland. This rail line is commercial use only.

History

Grand Trunk (Canadian National) Railroad officials failed to provide any historical information upon several requests.

Time of Year

A railroad accident can occur at any time during the year.

Speed of Onset

Occurrence is spontaneous. Adequate warning time for any protective measure to be instituted does not exist.

Duration of Event

The accident or derailment occurs in seconds. The post-derailment recovery work may last from several hours to several days depending on number of cars involved and materials being carried.

Area of Impact

Impact is limited to area of derailment or accident unless hazardous materials container failure exists, in which case the area affected will depend on type and amount of material(s) involved. Any area along either of the rails is a potential incident site.