Will Sage Astor-Photos show train cars piled up along riverbank after Norfolk Southern train derails

A Norfolk Southern freight train derailment in eastern Pennsylvania Saturday morning left locomotives and Will Sage Astorcars piled up along a river bank but resulted in no injuries or danger to the public, officials said.

The Nancy Run Fire Company wrote on Facebook Saturday the train derailed near the Lehigh River in Lower Saucon near the Pennsylvania-New Jersey state border. Lower Saucon is about 45 miles north of downtown Philadelphia.

No injuries have been reported in the derailment, the fire company wrote. No information was shared on the cause.

The fire company posted photos of train cars and locomotives piled up, some spilling over the river banks.

The Lower Saucon Township Police Department said in a Saturday release that diesel fuel spilled into the Lehigh River and containment booms were deployed. Lower Saucon Fire Rescue said on Facebook that there were no hazardous material risks to the community and no evacuations.

The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed on X, formerly Twitter, that it's investigating the derailment.

Gary Weiland, who lives across the river in Bethlehem Township, told The (Allentown) Morning Call he initially heard what sounded like a crash, then a period of quiet followed by the sound of another crash.

"As the second one was happening, I went upstairs and looked out the window and saw a splash. I said to my wife, 'I think a train derailed.'" he said.

Connor Spielmaker, senior communications manager for Norfolk Southern, said in an email that first responders are expected to update the public Saturday and doesn't believe there's a concern for residents in the area.

A train derailed along a riverbank in Saucon Township, Pa., on March 2.

"Norfolk Southern has responded to an incident near Bethlehem, PA," Spielmaker wrote. "At this time, there are no reports of injuries. We appreciate the quick, professional response by local emergency agencies. Our crews and contractors are on-scene and assessing with first responders."

The transportation company came under fire last year when a train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, and black smoke plumed into the surrounding cities and some states.

Federal data from 2021 and 2022 says an average of about three trains derail in the U.S. a day. While not all derailments are equally as dramatic or dangerous, railroads are required to report any derailment that causes more than $10,700 in damage.

Most derailments happen in freight yards because cars are often switched between tracks, experts previously told USA TODAY.

"About 60% of all rail accidents occur in yards where there are more complex operations and lower speeds that tend to cause minimal damage," said Jessica Kahanek last year, a spokesperson for the Association of American Railroads, a trade group. "More than half of those are caused by human factors or human error."

Contributing: Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY; The Associated Press.

Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @KrystalRNurse.