Accident derails 5 rail cars in County

FRENCHVILLE – Crews with the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad Co. worked through the weekend clearing 500 feet of track after five railroad cars derailed late Friday night.

Workers at the scene about three miles east of the Frenchville-Fort Kent town line would not comment on specifics surrounding the accident, but confirmed no one was injured and there was no threat to the environment.

Attempts to reach B&A officials and officials with Iron Horse Rail, its parent company, were unsuccessful over the weekend.

B&A employees from throughout Aroostook County were called in to clear and repair the tracks, working in subzero temperatures along the banks of the St. John River.

They were joined by workers from Ed Pelletier and Sons Construction of Madawaska who used earth-moving equipment to construct a temporary roadway to the accident site, remove damaged track, grade the rail line and push aside damaged cars.

On Sunday an official with Fraser Papers Nexfor of Madawaska said she had been told by B&A officials the track could reopen for rail traffic by Tuesday.

The repairs should not have an immediate impact on operations at Fraser’s Madawaska mill, Leonette St. Onge, manager of production planning, transportation and customer service, said Sunday.

“Our inventory of chemicals is sufficient until the trains resume on Tuesday,” she said. “This will not affect our shipping too much.”