Tagged: Paducah & Louisville Railway

The off-loading for cars carrying dangerous chemicals at the train derailment site in southwestern Jefferson County will begin Tuesday morning, but officials are not scheduling an evacuation or shelter-in-place order, the city said.

But Dixie Highway will again close -- from the Salt River bridge to Ky. 44 starting at 6 a.m. Tuesday. 

Though no evacuation or shelter order are planned, authorities cautioned that prevailing winds may require them to be issued when the chemicals are transferred. 

Update: 4:18 p.m. The Paducah & Louisville Railway has opened a new "outreach center" at West Point City Hall at 509 Elm Street for all claims other than excess mileage incurred because Dixie Highway has been closed, a spokeswoman for the company said.

The existing "outreach center" at the VFW Post 1181, at 6518 Blevins Gap Road, will only handle mileage claims, the company spokeswoman said.

(Read more about the outreach center.)

The head of the Paducah & Louisville Railway says the company has paid out at least $325,000 in reimbursements so far after a train derailed in southwest Louisville and caused a chemical fire.

CEO Tony Wreck told The Associated Press on Monday that the money has gone to help pay the expenses of people evacuated from their homes after the Oct. 29 crash.

Evacuations were lifted Sunday and homeowners were being allowed back into the town of West Point four days after a chemical fire started at the site.