Crime & Safety

Report: Gaithersburg Prepared For Train Accident

Gaithersburg officials said the city is prepared for an incident similar to Monday's fatal derailment in Ellicott City, The Gazette reports.

Gaithersburg officials said Tuesday they are prepared for a train accident similar to the , according to a report by The Gazette.

“There are certain situations that you hope never occur, but if [they do] you need to make sure that you can deal with it as quick and effectively as possible,” Gaithersburg Mayor Sidney Katz told The Gazette.

Monday night, 21  that travels through the Ellicott City historic district, Ellicott City Patch reported. Two people were found dead on the train tracks when crews responded to the scene, at about midnight.

Find out what's happening in Gaithersburgwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

CSX trains run through the heart of Olde Town Gaithersburg several times per day.

Skip Lanham, Gaithersburg's emergency management coordinator, told The Gazette, he thinks the city is well prepared to handle a major emergency event such as a train derailment, adding that it would also become a "[Montgomery] county incident."

Find out what's happening in Gaithersburgwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Lanham also said it's been a long time since Gaithersburg conducted a large scale rail disaster training, according to the report. It was "something [the city] can improve upon," he said.

Read the full report, including history of train derailments in Montgomery County and input from Rockville city officials, on The Gazette.


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