Colleton County Fire-Rescue

April 2009 Tactical Response Team Training

Colleton County Fire-Rescue Alarm Number 05-00244

Location: Avondale Mills Plant, Graniteville, SC

Time out: 1/12/2005 - 15:32 hours

Time in: 1/14/2005 - 10:00 hours

Responding Units: Car 17, Battalion 1, Truck 12

Responding Personnel: 11

The Graniteville train disaster is an American rail disaster that occurred on January 6, 2005 in Graniteville, SC.  At roughly 2:40 am EST, two Norfolk Southern trains collided near an Avondale Mills plant in Graniteville.  Norfolk Southern train No. P22 was parked on a siding near the Avondale Mills plant.  Train No. 192, which was transporting chlorine gas, sodium hydroxide and cresol, was diverted by an improperly aligned railroad switch onto the siding, where it collided with P22.  The collision derailed both locomotives and 16 of 192's 42 freight cars, as well as the locomotive and one of P22's two freight cars.  One of 192's tank cars loaded with chlorine ruptured, releasing at least 90 tons of the gas.  Nine people died (eight at the time of the accident, one later due to chlorine inhalation), and at least 250 people were treated for chlorine exposure.

5,400 residents within a mile of the crash site were forced to evacuate for nearly two weeks while HAZMAT teams and cleanup crews decontaminated the area.

Since the underlying cause of the Graniteville Accident was an railroad switch that was inadvertently left in the wrong position, it begs the question:  How often does this happen?

Here is a video that shows another open switch in Cactus, Texas in 2006.  In this video (just like in Graniteville), a switch is left in the wrong position causing a train to collide with another train that is parked on a "siding" (a side area of track used for parking).  This video also shows a good example of the train operator's view of what the train operator in Graniteville experienced.

 

In Colleton County, there are two active rail systems in use. 

One is in western Colleton County and enters from Hampton County crossing Moselle Road and travels northeast through Ashton to Lodge where the line turns east to Williams and then southeast through Ruffin.  This line then parallels Ruffin Road and turns northeast just west of the intersection of Ruffin and Wolfe Creek Roads.  This line then continues northeast crossing Mount Carmel close to the intersection of McLeod and crossing under Interstate 95 at the 65 mile marker.  Once passing through the Oakman Branch community, the line ends at the SCE&G Electric Plant on Augusta Highway.  This line is operated by Lightsey Brothers, is solely used for the transportation of coal to be burned at the plant and travels at relatively low speeds.

The second rail line in Colleton County is located in eastern Colleton County.  Although the line traverses the county in a general east to west direction, half of the line parallels Ace Basin Parkway (U.S. Highway 17) which is designated by the Department of Transportation as travelling in a north to south direction.  Just over the Edisto River (in Charleston County), there are two parallel rail lines; however, only one rail line crosses the Edisto River.  Quite frequently an eastbound train is signaled to wait for westbound trains to cross the Edisto River Bridge and continue east and north to Charleston.  Once the rail line crosses the Edisto River, it (one line) continues west through Jacksonboro but has a siding and small switchyard at the Balchem Plant.  Only one line passes over the Ashepoo River and that line crosses Ace Basin Parkway within 50 yards of Station 6.  On the other side of Ace Basin, the one line splits to two parallel lines.  These two lines cross Green Pond Highway but revert to one line not far from the crossing on Pynes Community Road.  The one line continues west crossing Jerusalem Road, White Hall Road, Calfpen Creek Lane, Combahee Road, a private dirt road in Cherokee Plantation, Public Landing Lane and leaves Colleton County paralleling Hendersonville Highway (U.S. 17-Alternate).  There is another switchyard and sidings in the town of Yemassee (in Hampton County).  This second rail line is operated by CSX, but Amtrak passenger trains also use this rail line.

Although a train versus vehicle collision is only likely to occur at the intersections listed above, a train versus train collision is more likely to occur at one of the areas where tracks diverge to two lines or converge to one line or the small switchyard at Balchem.  We could experience the catastrophic results of a human error of leaving a track switch in the wrong position, but we may also experience a collision that would occur as a result of one train overrunning or missing a signal light indicating that it should stop.  This collision could also occur in a very remote area, such as the area between Green Pond Highway and Pynes Community Road.  Although this area would be very difficult to access (using either Frasier Hill Lane or Folly Creek Lane), it would not affect a great number of citizens. 

In this video, a collision is caused by the approaching train overrunning its stop signal.  The train from which the video is taken is properly switched to the side track to pass the approaching train; however, the approaching train closes the distance before it can pass. At 42-43 seconds, you can see the operator of the approaching train jumping from the engine.  Although he would likely be safer in the cab of the engine than outside if the cars behind the engine derail, it is a good example of patients that may be found under the train wreckage and not in it.

Consider if a train overran the stop signal just east of the Edisto River while travelling west from Charleston County.  If an eastbound train (travelling through Colleton County) could not stop in time, it may strike the westbound train at the switch in Charleston County (similar to this video), or on top of the Edisto River Bridge.  In either case, train cars (either chemical cars or passenger cars) could derail into the Edisto River or on the Colleton side of the Edisto River releasing their contents and affecting the entire population of Jacksonboro.  Although the population is relatively small (800) by comparison to the 5,400 evacuated in Graniteville, the Jacksonboro community is geographically small and close in proximity to the railroad tracks.