After 25 cars on a Canadian National Railway freight train derailed in Matteson Thursday, village police and fire crews were assisting CN Friday by blocking off roads and managing security while workers clean up the debris and tow fallen cars.
Matteson spokesman Sean Howard said CN hopes to have the cars cleared by Monday.
Crews had blocked off most of Main Street Friday, redirecting traffic at 218th Street. Only residents were allowed through.
Howard said the road blocks were expected to be lifted by Saturday afternoon.
Howard said the cars, which Matteson officials had originally thought contained an unknown powdery substance, was later identified as plastic pellets that are not hazardous.
The village ordered an evacuation of the Historic Matteson Main Street shortly after the derailment at 10:30 a.m. Thursday.
While the order was lifted at 1:30 p.m., some businesses on Main Street said the derailment and following clean up efforts have disrupted their operations.
Gavin Dawson, a manager at T & T Auto Care near where the train cars derailed at 21740 Main St., said he was working Thursday morning when he heard screeching and a loud bang. Dawson said when he went to check, he found multiple train cars on the ground and said he smelled gas.
Ten minutes later, Dawson said the Fire Department arrived and told everyone to evacuate.
“We had to call our customers and let them know we were leaving for the day,” Dawson said.
While crews have worked to clean up the site, Dawson said the road blocks have affected the auto shop’s business.
He said customers picking up their serviced cars had to park at 218th Street and walk to the shop. He also said vendors delivering parts to the auto shop have not been allowed through.
Lenora Williams said police came to her home shortly after the derailment to evacuate residents on 218th Street.
Williams said she was at work about 25 minutes away when police came to issue the evacuation order, but her 17-year-old son was still at home.
“I hope it doesn’t happen again,” Williams said. “My son was home by himself, so I had to hurry and come and get him.”
The cause of the derailment is still under investigation, CN said in a statement Friday morning, but train movements were expected to resume that afternoon.
One railcar containing residual liquified petroleum gas leaked a limited amount of the substance Thursday. CN officials said in the statement they are conducting a controlled burning of the substance by flaring 11 cars that contain the residue petroleum.
“There is no danger to public safety or to the environment,” CN said in a statement. “Flaring is the controlled burning of residue gas over a short period of time. It is required to eliminate any left over product and allow for the safe removal of the railcar. Out of an abundance of caution, CN will be monitoring air quality. We are working closely with government agencies and local officials and keeping them apprised of our clean-up efforts.”
While crews clean up the fallout of the derailment, Howard said CN will use adjacent to the tracks that belong to the village to store supplies and move the fallen train cars.
“There’s a lot of machinery coming in and out, and that’s why we want the residents in that particular area to exercise patience with the noise and some of the engine sounds as they drive through the streets to get to the site,” Howard said.
Jessica Kahanek, assistant vice president of communications at the Association of American Railroads, said while train derailments containing potentially hazardous substances pose a safety threat, they are not common.
“It’s important for folks to realize they are rare, rail is the safest way to move goods over land, particularly hazmat,” Kahanek said.
There were 951 Class one freight train derailments in 2022. According to data from the Association of American Railroads, 731 of the derailments happened in rail yards, the majority without hazmat release, reported injuries or fatalities.
Matteson Mayor Sheila Chalmers-Currin said the evacuation was precautionary to ensure the safety of village residents, and she is impressed by first responders quick response to the derailment.
Chalmers-Currin and U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly honored first responders at an outdoor Independence Day concert Friday at the village commons. Matteson police and fire officials were recognized for their quick evacuation of close to 300 residents within a 2-mile radius of the derailment, according to the news release.
