A CSX freight train derailed in Blue Island shortly before 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The transportation company said in a statement there were no injuries as a result of the derailment, which it said occurred at Thornton Road and 136th Street. Both CSX and the Blue Island Police Department said no hazardous materials had been spilled.
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“Safety is our top priority as we work to clear the crossings impacted by the incident and fully restore the area. The cause of the incident is under investigation,” CSX said.
Blue Island police said in a statement posted on the department’s Facebook page that about 15 train cars derailed, including one possible tanker. CSX said 13 cars derailed and that the tanker car was empty.
By late Thursday morning, some train cars were still hanging from the track onto a fence and on top of a line of cars that were parked on the property adjacent to the tracks.
More than 15 cars were damaged, said Nick Karnavas, the owner of the property at 13611 Thornton Road.
Karnavas rents the property to two businesses, including a mattress company, which was not damaged and operated as usual after the derailment onto the lot. His other tenant rents the parking lot to park the cars he buys and sells, Karnavas said.
He said he was grateful no one got hurt.
His fence will be replaced and the other damages will be assessed by CSX, he said. “I trust that the railroad has money, so they’ll take care of it in a timely fashion,” Karnavas added.
A spokesperson for the Federal Railroad Administration said CSX was solely responsible for cleanup activities and service restoration at the derailment site. The derailment did not meet criteria for a railroad administration investigation, the spokesperson said. The National Transportation Safety Board was also not investigating the derailment, a spokesperson for the agency said.
Recent derailments across the U.S. have raised concern about rail safety.
In February, a Norfolk Southern train carrying chemicals including vinyl chloride, a toxic flammable gas, derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. The fiery derailment led to evacuations and residents reported feeling sick and the deaths of local wildlife.
The Associated Press contributed.