Freight train derails in Madera County

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Train traffic along the BNSF Railway tracks in Madera County has been halted after a derailment. The incident has also impacted Amtrak San Joaquins passenger trains that run between Bakersfield and Sacramento or the Bay Area.

A freight train derailed at 9:55 am Monday in Madera County, near Avenue 12 and Sante Fe Drive.

The train was hauling empty grain cars. Two locomotives and one car came off the tracks in the derailment.

From the air, our SkyView 30 drone shows that the incident happened as the train crossed over a switch that connects the main railroad line and a siding track that leads to an ethanol plant.

BNSF Railway says nobody has been hurt in the derailment and there are no hazardous materials on board the train.

The railroad expects that the tracks will be cleared around midnight.

Until the tracks reopen, Amtrak is using buses to transport passengers between the Madera and Fresno stations, bypassing the derailment. If you are catching a train on Monday, expect delays.

For a time, Avenue 12 was closed, as it was blocked by the train's other cars. They have all since been removed from the area.

BNSF is investigating the derailment.