RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ A state official says a CSX inspection found a defect in a railroad track the day before an oil train derailed in Lynchburg.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that Massoud Tahamtani told a state rail safety task force about the defect Wednesday but could not elaborate on its nature or say whether it contributed to the April 30 accident.
Tahamtani, the State Corporation Commission’s utility and rail safety director, said railroads have 30 days to analyze and act on defects they discover.
CSX deferred comment to the National Transportation Safety Board, which said it is still collecting information.
Nobody was injured in the 17-car derailment. Three cars carrying Bakken crude from North Dakota plunged into the James River and one caught fire, prompting a brief evacuation of parts of downtown.
