Train derailment to cost more than $700,000: report

The National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary report Monday on the train derailment in Paulsboro, N.J., last month.

The report confirms much of the information previously released to the public but does not state the cause of the Nov. 30 crash over the Mantua Creek Bridge.

The report states that the maximum speed over the 160-foot bridge is 10 miles per hour, and that data shows the train was traveling at 7 miles per hour at the time of the incident. Investigators have previously said the conductor received permission to cross the bridge, which was closed.

Three of the cars contained vinyl chloride, and one contained ethanol. One of the cars containing vinyl chloride was breached, releasing approximately 180,000 pounds of vinyl chloride into the creek and surrounding area, the report said.

The final car containing vinyl chloride was removed from the creek Sunday.

Twenty-two local residents and the conductor were treated and released at nearby hospitals. Conrail’s initial estimate of the damage was $721,114, which does not include environmental remediation, the report said.

The NTSB said the report is preliminary and will be supplemented or corrected during the investigation. Several civil suits have been filed.