Article: https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/freight-train-cars-derail-near-014058301.html
Freight train cars derail near Petco Park, closes Harbor Drive
Harbor Drive is currently closed to traffic due to the derailment.
The derailment occurred around 4 p.m. CHP also confirmed there is structural damage to a concrete pillar beneath Harbor Drive, near Switzer Street.
BNSF confirmed with FOX 5/KUSI that three rail cars carrying automobiles derailed at approximately 4 p.m. The company also said that there are no injuries or hazardous materials involved.
BNSF also reported that the derailed cars are leaning against a bridge pillar on Harbor Drive. The cause of the derailment is under investigation.
Motorists are encouraged to avoid the area as Harbor Drive remains closed for an unknown duration. Traffic in the area could be impacted by the derailment.
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My commentary: This raised my eyebrows for two reasons. 1. Train derailments seem to have become common in recent years and 2. Over the years, I've commented numerous times about my concerns about the Monarch Charter School for Homeless Children, the main train station (near which the derailing occurred), the Container Port and the Convention Center all being a very short walk from one another. I suspect that children are being moved between the port and trains, that they use the school as cover for moving children, and that children are pimped at convention activities.
With the economy heating up, the railroad tracks need a lot of investment. The track maintenance is complicated by ownership, use and the lack financial capability by the railroads. The Trump team needs a plan.
A lot of these side rails are not used much or worth fixing. A lot of of rail here in Oklahoma is only used during harvest time to move grain out. The main lines are different they are used all the time.
I could be wrong on this, but my understanding is that San Diego only has one line nowadays that is shared by the freight trains (at night) and Amtrak (daytime). There is a line out in the southeast part of the county that I believe is owned by a train museum and hobbyists keep it going for the museum to run their museum cars on. The museum used to take tourists to a Mexican border town, but the line broke on the Mexican side and the Mexican government has never fixed it.
Their shouldn't be any issues with the line,if it's used by Amtrak
The shared portion of the track starts just past where the derailing occurred, so it was not in the shared portion. The stretch of track between the freight depot and the Amtrak Depot is very short. My guess is maybe 1/2 mile at most? But we do get a lot of container ships in and it's a heavily used track, so I would expect it to be well maintained. Since the derailing happened near a homeless camp, I wonder if there was something on the tracks or maybe damage done to the tracks by the encampment.