Downtown ‘derailment’ delays may last all day

Published 9:13 am Tuesday, June 7, 2022

If you’re trying to get from the east side of Brookhaven to the west today — or vice versa — you might want to factor in a little extra time.

A freight train came off the tracks “a bit” in Brookhaven a little after 8 a.m. and the train remains there for now.

Portions of the track came apart in the crossing of Monticello Street, causing the train to have to stop until the damage can be fully assessed.

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Police Chief Kenneth Collins said people should expect the tracks to be blocked for quite a while.

Emergency personnel at the site speculated the freight cars at the crossing would have to be unloaded and removed from the area to avoid further damage and a possibly more dangerous situation. Only then could the remainder of the train move out of the area, and the damaged sections be repaired or replaced.

Alternate routes across the tracks include Hwy. 84 and Dale Trail south of downtown, and Industrial Park Road on the north side of downtown.

As always, once the tracks clear, use caution and obey the crossing warnings.

Click here for a short video of some of the damage.