Train derailed 34 UPS Cars lost contents!!! Check your status!!

[sbsahm]

If you have orders that went through NJ I would strongly suggest you check your tracking for information.

UPS officials said the train from Secaucus, N.J., was scheduled for a brief stop in Chicago before sending most of its cargo to Phoenix and Las Vegas.

hristmas derailed

 

December 22, 2007

By Jane Huh Post-Tribune staff writer

 

A train bearing Christmas gifts of all shapes and sizes derailed next to the South Shore line in Portage on Friday morning.

 

Dozens of train cars were strewn on and around a Norfolk Southern freight line, located north of U.S. 12 and east of Indiana 249.

 

Items spilled from 39 freight containers including hair weaves, bolts of fabric, medical supplies, vacuums, Hot Wheels toy cars and batteries.

 

» Click to enlarge image

Workers clean up a Norfolk Southern derailment north of U.S. 12 and east of Indiana 249. Thirty-nine freight containers dumped their cargo in the wreck.

(Michael McArdle/Post-Tribune)

 

Small bottles of Axe body spray provided an odd aroma to the air.

 

Hundreds of UPS employees and safety workers responded to the scene. Bulldozers loaded the debris onto trailers bound for the UPS package processing center near Chicago.

 

Most in Northwest Indiana can breathe easy if concerned about Christmas packages, though.

 

UPS officials said the train from Secaucus, N.J., was scheduled for a brief stop in Chicago before sending most of its cargo to Phoenix and Las Vegas.

 

No one injured as 11 cars derail

 

BURNS HARBOR -- A Norfolk Southern train derailed Friday morning, spilling thousands of pieces of mail and UPS packages -- including holiday gifts en route to Chicago and points west.

 

The derailment of one engine and 10 cars happened at 6:40 a.m., near U.S. 12 and Indiana 249. Some of the 39 shipping containers split open, spilling items as varied as computers, camera equipment and power tools across the tracks.

 

No fire erupted, even though more than 30 gallons of diesel fuel had leaked, said Greg Eckhardt, Porter County deputy director of environmental operations.

 

"We don't know if (the derailment's cause) is mechanical or the track (related)," said Patrick Graham, chief inspector with the Federal Railroad Administration.

 

We don't want to disappoint

 

Cleanup crews cleared the site of debris from mangled trailers and scattered packages. As of Friday afternoon, more than 100 UPS employees from Chicago and Northwest Indiana were en route to the scene to salvage packages, Mike Johl, UPS community relations manager, said.

 

Johl said the majority of the UPS containers carried were day-to-day standard business products like office supplies, but "certainly, some holiday presents are in there."

 

As of Friday evening, UPS workers have been sorting the holiday packages from the vast majority of the "nuts and bolts" -- office supplies -- to upgrade the shipment to the company's air service network. The intact holiday presents are expected to be delivered to the "right place by Monday," Johl said.

 

"We don't want to disappoint customers," he said.

 

The trailers were being transported to UPS' Hodgkins, Ill., hub, about 17 miles southwest of Chicago.

 

Rudy Husband, a spokesman for Norfolk Southern, said the train originated from Secaucus, N.J., to stop at Chicago.

 

Johl said the packages were headed west to be shipped to cities that included Phoenix and Las Vegas. Some packages to be delivered to recipients in Chicago may have been affected, he said.

 

UPS officials encouraged customers to determine the status of their packages through the company's Web site, using their items' tracking numbers.

 

Customers with damaged or lost items can follow the claims process and "we'll take care of them from there," Johl said.

 

Passengers rerouted

 

Crews cleared the scene of debris, treating the situation as a "gigantic accident scene," to be sure the railroad lines are secure and no hazardous materials are present before items could be retrieved, Johl said.

 

"If there are package damages we will process them, using our online tracking system."

 

UPS is also formalizing a contingency plan to get the packages delivered to the right facility by Monday.

 

"We will put whatever resources we have to safely process their merchandise," Johl said.

 

An Amtrak train headed to Chicago from Michigan was rerouted onto the South Shore line. Amtrak said it stopped some westbound trains at Elkhart or Michigan City and arranged for buses to bring passengers to Chicago. Passengers for some eastbound trains were being taken by bus from Chicago to Michigan City or Toledo, Ohio, to board other trains.

 

And a South Shore passenger train that left Michigan City was called back, said John Parsons, spokesman for the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District. But the train, No. 112, was able to run between Gary and Chicago, Parsons said.

 

Parsons said the transport was canceled as a safety precaution.

 

"We're expecting normal service (from now on)," he said.

[sbsahm]

Luckily from the pics I only saw 1 or 2 amazon boxes, and 1 Dale and Thomas box!

[Guest macedon1001]

My package was last tracked in Edison, NJ on Dec 19th. It was a 3-Day Select UPS to be delivered on Dec. 21. I wonder if my package is in there?? I called UPS before seeing this article and they said it was in Phoenix to be delivered on Monday. I was so angry it was delivered on schedule and this just compounds it!!! I assumed it was going to get on a plane...

[Guest macedon1001]

Below is a link to watch video of this news story. UPS is repacking packages that are still able to be delivered.

 

http://cbs2chicago.com/video/[email protected]

[justjessie99]

Below is a link to watch video of this news story. UPS is repacking packages that are still able to be delivered.

 

http://cbs2chicago.com/video/[email protected]

 

Oh my gosh.. I'm sorry but after the week I've had... it was actually funny to see all those packages all over..Can you imagine??.. I know if it were my packages I'd be furious:mad:... but with all the stress lately ... you got laugh:cheesy:!!..LOL

I'm waiting on one package... and mine is FedEx..whew! Since I'm in Chicago!

[Guest macedon1001]

My package is out for delivery today. Yeah!! --well, supposedly. Until it is actually received I shouldn't celebrate just yet...what with all the mistakes lately...