Freight cars derail near Normal, Illinois, train station

NORMAL, Ill. (AP) - About 16 Union Pacific freight cars have gone off railroad tracks at a train station in Illinois.

Normal Mayor Chris Koos said the derailment occurred Saturday morning at a train switching area, The (Bloomington) Pantagraph reported.

The derailment occurred about 5 a.m. No injuries were reported, and no hazardous materials were involved, officials said. Some power lines were damaged.

Crews were making repairs Saturday to the tracks.

“Two lines that run parallel have damage, but we hope that one line will be functional as soon as the wreckage is cleared away,” Koos said.

Normal is about 130 miles (209 kilometers) southwest of Chicago.

Illinois State University student Trevor Tanke stays in a building near the derailment site and said the building “shook for like 15, 20 seconds.”

“ … and we were like, ‘Wow. Was that an earthquake?’” Tanke said.

Amtrak officials at the Uptown Center in Normal said buses were being used to transport some affected rail passengers until the tracks could be reopened, according to The Pantagraph.

Two trains also will detour between St. Louis and Chicago, missing all intermediate stops, said Amtrak spokeswoman Beth Toll.

Service Saturday on three Amtrak trains between the two cities has been canceled.