Freight Train Derailment Blamed On Flooding Of Tracks

DEPOSIT, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say flooding is likely to blame for a freight train derailment in New York's Southern Tier that sent two empty railcars into the Delaware River. No one was hurt.

The New York Susquehanna and Western Railroad says all four locomotives and an unknown number of railcars on the Binghamton-bound train left the tracks around 2 a.m. Thursday in the Delaware County town of Deposit, on the Pennsylvania border.

Diesel fuel from two of the locomotives spilled, some of it into the river. Environmental officials are assessing the impact.

Railroad spokeswoman Melanie Boyer says one car was carrying corrosive liquid and 13 contained contaminated soil, but none of those cars derailed and there was no release of hazardous material. Other cars were carrying construction debris and soils and 38 of the 63 cars were empty.