About a dozen train cars derailed in a train derailment Tuesday afternoon at Horseshoe Curve. No injuries were reported, and crews stayed on scene while investigators looked into what sent the westbound cars off the tracks.
The derailment happened about 3:23 p.m., leaving 12 derailed cars partially tipped over or lying on their sides beside the line. Kasandra Jenkins, a senior communications manager, wrote that no hazardous materials were yet confirmed on the cars.
Horseshoe Curve Tuesday
The scene drew rail watchers to Horseshoe Curve as cleanup work continued. Raine Welles, 12, watched with his parents, Bradley Welles and Heather Boston, while Zach Rudisill recorded from the scene with a camera on a tripod and a drone in the air. Randy Zook said, “We're up here three times a week anyway” while he watched the crews with his family.
Heather Boston said, “I knew it would take a lot of cleaning up” and added, “The last time something like this happened, it took awhile.” Rudisill said he checked Facebook “at the right time,” then saw the livestream: “My jaw just dropped when I saw the train cars tipped over.”
Virtual Railfan Livestream
The Virtual Railfan livestream showed the derailment as it happened. The feed began on June 20, 2017, runs 24 hours a day, and retains about 12 hours of footage at a time. In Gallitzin, Chuck said, “A train stopped on the tracks and its engine shut off,” adding that “that does not bode well.”
The derailment was the third such incident on or nearby Horseshoe Curve in 2026. That puts the cleanup and investigation in the middle of a pattern at a site where people were already watching the tracks closely from the berm next to Veteran's Memorial Highway.
Horseshoe Curve Investigation
Norfolk Southern said the investigation remained underway after the derailment. The immediate next step is the same one crews were already carrying out Tuesday: clearing the cars, restoring the track, and sorting out what caused the westbound train cars to tip.
