Mountcastle, VA Train Derailment 10/25/25

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New Kent County, Va *Train Derailment* In area of S Mount Castle, Units are on scene with a coal train that has derailed with two locomotives in the wetlands and fifteen cars derailed. Advising bridge is destroyed. This will affect Amtrack as well.

Mountcastle is roughly 22 miles southeast of Richmond.

Train was a CSX coal train headed for Newport News with 220 cars, all loaded with coal. No injuries reported.
Emergency response from New Kent County, Providence Forge, Charles City County, James City County

Update: Train originated from Hinton, WV. The last crew swap was at Fulton yard in Richmond and was heading to Newport News to the coal yards. The train was 11402 feet (2.15 miles) in length and 30805 tons. All Amtrak service on the Newport News line including Williamsburg is suspended. Bridge destroyed is a trestle through wetlands, unknown length destroyed. Coal from 15 cars dumped into swamp.

 

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From Virginia Statewide Incidents:

Trail Derailment Update
New Kent, Va - Units are continuing to work the scene of a coal train derailment in the area of South Mountcastle Road and Roxbury Road
Preliminary information indicates at least 15 cars derailed, with two locomotives derailed into wetlands. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.
This is expected to be an extended operation, as a bridge in the area is also reported to be destroyed. Amtrak service through the area is expected to be affected as well.
The investigation into the cause of the derailment will be led by CSX Police. At this time, the only vehicular roadway impacted by this incident is Barnetts Road in Charles City County.
Residents are urged to avoid the area and allow emergency crews and railroad officials to safely conduct recovery operations.
This is a developing story.

Later reports say there are more than 30 cars derailed.

 

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From WTVR CBS 6 in Richmond, VA:

"TRAIN DERAILMENT UPDATE #4
A week later and serious progress being made along the stretch of tracks mangled in New Kent County. As you can see the rebuild is underway and everything but a locomotive and 1 rail car is left to be removed. Crews working at a swift pace to get things including Amtrak service back online. We wouldn’t know any of this if it wasn’t for the steady hand and reporting from citizen journalist, James Lipscomb. Job well done, James!!"

The amount of work that has been done in less than a week is amazing, and shows what can be done when you decide that it MUST be done, and ASAP. They have moved 54 destroyed hopper cars and 3 wrecked engines, and cleared away tons and tons of spilled coal. At the rate they're moving, I'm guessing the line will be back in operation in less than another week. Note the floodlight units . . . must be a 24 hour operation. Shows you what can be done when you're losing millions of dollars every day the line is out of service.

James Lipscomb photos.