Saturday’s train derailment behind the Cobblestone Square apartment complex was a concerning event for our small city. It has reminded us all of worries over national railroad safety here in our home community. We all want to know what has happened and how our residents and visitors can remain safe.
First, I would like to thank all of our public safety professionals who answered the emergency call on the evening of Saturday, July 20th. Our City’s Fire, Rescue and Police personnel, Planning and Building Service professionals, and our mutual aid partners in Stafford and Spotsylvania Counties, served our community very well by helping protect people and preserve property during the incident. Thankfully, no people were injured during the incident.
Second, I would like to share that our city leadership have been working hard since Saturday to ensure local support is in place while urging for a transparent and accountable investigation. Over this past weekend they were in contact with our federal and state delegation, the Federal Railroad Administration, VRE, CSX Transportation officials, and Cobblestone Management. My fellow City Councilors and I expect an investigation into how this derailment occurred and will continue to work to ensure that our community remains safeguarded against future emergencies along our rail lines.
We have asked CSX Transportation to offer a public address to our community. They have confirmed, and this brief is now planned for Wednesday, July 24 at 3:00pm in the VRE parking lot (near the site of the incident).
The City will continue to provide information through additional updates. Please visit Fredericksburgva.gov for more information. And I’d like to remind all of our residents to subscribe to the City’s emergency alerts by visiting FredericksburgAlert.com.