New York Sen. Chuck Schumer is calling on the federal government to launch an investigation into the derailing of a freight train in East Aurora that occurred Monday night.

East Aurora police say at around 11 p.m., a train derailed in the parking lot behind the Subway at Main Street and Elm Street in East Aurora.


What You Need To Know

  • New York Sen. Chuck Schumer is calling on the federal government to launch an investigation into the derailing of a freight train in East Aurora

  • 15 cars derailed, causing diesel fuel to spill from the engine

  • No injuries were reported 

  • The senator wrote a letter to the Federal Railroad Administration 

A total of 15 cars derailed causing diesel fuel to spill from the engine.

Schumer is calling the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to launch a full and thorough investigation into the cause of the incident.

The senator released the following statement, saying in part:

“This isn’t the first time a terrifying train derailment has happened in New York, and we need a full-scale investigation ASAP to sort out what happened and what actions should be implemented to prevent it from happening again,” Schumer said. “With better safety measures, accidents like the one last night in East Aurora are preventable, which is why I am calling on the Federal Railroad Administration to conduct a full and thorough investigation into the incident. New Yorkers deserve to sleep in peace and not worry about the possibility of a freight train overturning into their backyard.”

The train slid off the bank and parked itself feet away from the old depot. Village of East Aurora Police Chief Shane Krieger said it’s nothing short of a miracle. No injuries were reported.

“It was an act of God I think for the train to come off here in a parking lot with no structures around or anything,” Krieger said.

The Buffalo Pittsburgh train was heading from Salamanca to Buffalo, carrying hazardous materials like petroleum, when it had some sort of issue.

Schumer echoed the same sentiment as Krieger, stating the incident could have been much worse.

The senator wrote the following letter to the Federal Railroad Administration:

"Dear Administrator Batory:

Last night, a freight train operated by Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad derailed in the Village of East Aurora, NY. According to local reports, 15 cars and three engines, of 98 cars, were derailed. While fortunately no injuries were reported, residents in the surrounding area had to be evacuated for their own safety. It has come to my attention that the train was carrying highly flammable petrochemicals and diesel fuel from the engine had to be cleaned up at the site.

Again, while it is fortunate there were no injuries, the situation could have been much worse. I call on the Federal Railroad Administration to conduct a full and thorough investigation into the cause of this incident and report any appropriate steps that should be taken to prevent such future incidents.

This is not the first time a railroad car carrying highly flammable materials has derailed in Western New York. In 2017, a CSX freight train derailed at the railroad crossing at Donahue Road in the town of Batavia, with one of the overturned cars carrying flammable gunpowder. Freight trains carrying flammable Bakken shale products routinely make shipments through New York and more must be done to ensure that cargo is carried safely.

I look forward to hearing the results of your investigation and working with you to implement safer standards and procedures to prevent future train derailments. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff."