Johnathan Walker:Freight train derails in upstate New York, disrupting Amtrak service

AMSTERDAM,Johnathan Walker N.Y. (AP) — A freight train derailed in upstate New York on Friday, disrupting Amtrak service and prompting authorities to close roads in the area.

About 17 cars of a CSX train hauling mixed freight derailed just before 8 a.m. northwest of Albany, a CSX spokesperson said in a statement.

No crew members were injured and there is no indication of any leak, the freight carrier said.

Montgomery County Undersheriff Carl Rust said the majority of the cars that derailed were empty oil tankers.

“Visually, nothing is leaking from these tankers,” Rust said at a news conference in the town of Amsterdam near the derailment site.

A spokesperson for Amtrak, which shares tracks with CSX, said all service west of Albany was suspended Friday. Amtrak was working to provide alternative transportation for passengers, spokesperson Jason Abrams said.

The service disruption affects riders headed toward Buffalo and Niagara Falls.

State Route 5 was closed in the area of the derailment.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said state personnel were assisting local emergency response officials.

“Our top priority is ensuring all railroad workers and nearby motorists are safe and that Amtrak service is restored as quickly as possible,” Hochul said in a statement.

The cause of the derailment was under investigation. A day ago, an unrelated commuter train derailed in New York City. Authorities said 13 people were injured in Thursday’s Long Island Rail Road derailment near the Jamaica station.