An investigation is underway Monday after four Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad cars derailed Saturday night.
The train derailed at approximately 8:53 p.m. while heading south toward Peninsula during the final run of CVSR’s annual North Pole Adventure train ride.
Four cars came off the track, but remained upright, according to a park news release. None of the 588 passengers and crew on board were injured.
All passengers were shuttled by bus back to their vehicles, parked at the Rockside Station in Independence by 1 a.m. Sunday morning, according to an emailed statement from the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
The train was operating on a siding track that runs parallel to the main track at the time of the derailment. The train had been operating on the siding in Peninsula during the ongoing riverbank stabilization project, according to the statement, and the track was cleared for use following an inspection last week.
The railroad is now on winter break through January, said Jennie Vasarhelyi, a Cuyahoga Valley National Park spokesperson. But the need for long-term closures remains to be seen.
"If there... is any damage to the railroad that would cause it to be closed, we're not anticipating that," she said. "But ... we don't want to say that for sure until everything's been inspected and checked and repaired as needed."
Cranes were used to place the derailed cars back on the track, according to CVNP's statement, and all the cars were returned to the Fitzwater station by Sunday evening.
The investigation, overseen by the Federal Railroad Administration, will determine the cause of the derailment, Vasarhelyi said.
The Federal Railroad Administration did not respond to request for comment.
