BALTIMORE (AP) — Nearly a week after a train derailment and fire in a downtown tunnel paralyzed the city, inspectors cleared the way for the reopening of the damaged passageway.
"This city's back in business," Mayor Martin O'Malley declared Monday night following a four-hour examination of the tunnel by federal, state and city inspectors, along with engineers from CSX, the rail company that owns the tunnel.
Rick Garro, CSX assistant chief engineer for bridge maintenance, said the 106-year-old tunnel had been "very stoutly built" and was ready for rail traffic.
A 60-car freight train derailed in the tunnel last Wednesday. A subsequent fire and acid spill halted traffic into the city, ruptured a water main and forced the postponement of three Baltimore Orioles games.
The last charred, smoking boxcar was removed Monday morning. The National Transportation Safety Board is continuing to investigate the derailment.