MARC said trains likely won’t operate past Silver Spring and urged residents to find an alternative way to get to work.
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Melanie Cost, a representative from CSX, said a third “calcium chloride leak” from the train was identified today, but ultimately contained “within 15 minutes”.
She said another vehicle was found to be leaking non-hazardous calcium chloride. That leak has since been plugged.
A third vehicle was slowly leaking ethanol from the base of a valve, the company said.
The District fire department did not order evacuations around the site of the accident, which happened near a city subway station and about three miles (5 km) from the White House.
The derailed train was traveling from Cumberland, Maryland, to Hamlet, North Carolina.
A CSX freight train has derailed near the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station in Washington D.C. Sunday morning, sending several cars off the tracks. No injuries were immediately reported.
“One derailed vehicle is leaking sodium hydroxide, which is used to produce various household products including paper, soap and detergents”, the official said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the chemical, which is commonly known as lye, can cause skin and eye irritations and breathing problems.
“We understand that this a significant inconvenience to commuters and to this community so we’re working as quickly as we possibly can with safety as the first priority”, CSX spokeswoman Melanie Cost said. CSX officials said the derailment involved three locomotives, 175 total cars, including 94 carrying mixed freight and 81 empty cars.
A CSX freight train has derailed in Washington, D.C., leaving several cars overturned and a possible hazardous leak. Officials say they do not know what substance is leaking.
Part of Rhode Island Avenue was closed in both directions.
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Red Line service is temporarily closed at the Rhode Island Metro Station due to the fire department activity near the station.
