Fire chief critical of CSX in 2014 oil train derailment in Virginia, documents say

The fire official who led the response to a 2014 oil train derailment in Lynchburg, Virginia, criticized CSX Transportation, saying it took two hours for the company's representative to arrive at a command post after the wreck.

Lynchburg fire battalion chief Robert E. Lipscomb made the comments in an interview a day after the April 30, 2014, derailment. His comments about CSX are part of documents released this week by the National Transportation Safety Board. By contrast, he says a Norfolk Southern official arrived within 45 minutes.

Seventeen cars derailed. Three went into the James River and one caught fire. Nearly 30,000 gallons of oil were spilled into the river. The derailment briefly caused parts of downtown Lynchburg to be evacuated.

CSX spokesman Rob Doolittle declined comment.