Amtrak trains are rolling again in Jackson County. The track that was damaged in Wednesday's train derailment is now clear. Wednesday, Amtrak Train 351 crashed into a semi-truck, crews worked overnight to make repairs to the tracks.
"They made it look pretty effortlesss. They knew what they were doing. They set their equipment up and went right to it so everything they did from laying the track and everything else, these guys knew what they were doing, they were on the ball," said Dave Lubahm, Blackman-Leoni Twp. Public Safety.
Officials say the company's routes between Pontiac, Detroit and Chicago are back in service Thursday. However, trains that pass that portion of the track will have to follow an imposed speed limit.
Blackman-Leoni Township Public Safety officials say trains in the area usually travel around 60 miles an hour, but the speed limit has been reduced to 10 miles an hour for now.
Around 1:30 a.m. Thursday, officials say a test freight train successfully passed over the repaired track. Another freight train followed a short time later.
Officers said an estimated 50 gallons of diesel fuel leaked onto the ground from Wednesday's accident, but crews said it has been cleaned up and it's not a threat to the public.
Officer Dave Lubahn with Blackman-Leoni Township Public Safety says he worked the overnight shift and saw the first train pass safely.
Six News has been told it'll take crews a couple of days to completely clean up the mess.
