Multiple agencies respond to reported train derailment in Upatoi overnight
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- Train derailed in Upatoi area overnight; multiple emergency agencies responded around 2:20 a.m. Saturday.
- No chemical spill occurred; derailment cause unknown. Norfolk Southern had not commented as of publication.
Numerous emergency resources responded overnight following a reported train derailment in the Upatoi area.
CNAW2News.com first began receiving reports of the incident around 2:20 a.m. on Saturday, June 20, 2026. Authorities responded following a reported train derailment, according to Daniel Macon, Fire Marshal and Deputy Chief with Columbus Fire and EMS.
Around 3 a.m., CNAW2News crews observed a fire engine and an ambulance on Cartledge Road off Macon Road. Our crews also spotted a ladder truck and a hazardous materials unit responding with emergency lights activated westbound on the highway.
Later in the morning, CNAW2News crews observed three Columbus Police Department patrol vehicles at the railroad crossing on Box Springs Road. The train’s locomotive was also located at the crossing.
Fire officials were later seen on Upatoi Lane near Jenkins Road, where a drone was being used to search for the location of the derailed train.
Macon confirmed that the Columbus Fire and EMS Hazardous Materials Team responded to the incident but stated that no chemical spill occurred.
The cause of the derailment is unknown. CNAW2News.com contacted Norfolk Southern through its media relations department around 5 a.m. Saturday. As of publication, the railroad company had not responded to requests for comment.
This is a developing story.
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