Most of downtown Lynchburg was back to normal Monday except for the section of track still occupied by CSX oil tankers, a pile of train pieces near Depot Grill and the cordoned-off Riverfront Park, filled with vehicles of CSX employees and contractors involved in the cleanup. Most of downtown has reopened, though Jefferson Street remains closed to through traffic.
While crews continue to clean up the remains of the derailed CSX train along the James River in downtown Lynchburg, Virginia’s U.S. senators called for better safety and communication in hauling hazardous materials. On Monday, Senators Mark Warner and Timothy Kaine sent a letter to the U.S. Transportation Secretary urging quick action on the issue and to open up discussions for public input for rail shipments of crude oil. and increased collaboration with local first responders. Sources say more crude oil was spilled in 2013 alone than from 1975 to 2012.