That’s right, any time a rail car leaves the track it is classified a derailment. I used to work at a company that received raw materials by rail. The railroad there had cars slip off the tracks a couple times. They called each event a derailment.

The cargo has a big impact on public awareness too. If seven rail cars filled with pallets of breakfast cereal fall over in a farm field people don’t pay much attention. But, understandably, cars filled with hazardous chemicals leave a lasting impression because of their damaging impact.