San Bernardino County Fire Department responded to a reported head-on collision between two trains approximately 50 miles east of Barstow CA near the town of Ludlow just before 3:00PM on Tuesday, October 22, 2013.
First units arrived to discover two freight trains with a number of railcars overturned and a small fire in the midst. A quick survey of the scene determined that there were no injuries to either crews and that the fire was confined to the railroad ties along the track. The trains were hauling produce, and there were no hazardous materials released secondary to the collision. Twenty rail cars were derailed in the incident.
Preliminary investigation shows that the trains were travelling in the same direction. One train was switching to an additional track system to allow the second train to pass at the time of the accident.
Four engines from County Fire and Marine Corps Logistics Base Fire Department responded to the scene along with the California Highway Patrol. No road closures were in effect, though the tracks are expected to be non-
operational for 24 at least hours.
San Bernardino County Fire Department is an All Risk public safety agency providing fire suppression, emergency medical services, technical rescue, and hazardous materials response capabilities. With a significant amount of rail service through our region, San Bernardino County Fire trains for responses such as this and is well prepared to mitigate the hazards associated with rail incidents.
Source: SBC Fire Dept. news release
