The Howard Street Tunnel fire (also known as the Baltimore Freight Rail Crash) began on July 18, 2001, in a railroad tunnel under Howard Street in Baltimore, Maryland. The derailment of a 60-car CSX Transportation freight train in the through-route Howard Street Tunnel sparked a chemical fire that raged for five or six days. The fire slowed Internet service in the US for a few hours; ruptured a water main, flooding the streets above; virtually shut down downtown Baltimore for several days; and disrupted East Coast rail service for several weeks.
The derailment and fire
Around 3 p.m. on July 18, 2001, an eastbound 60-car train operated by CSX was moving through the Howard Street Tunnel, a 1.7-mile tunnel under downtown Baltimore.
Effects
Baltimore
The derailment and subsequent fire and flooding closed streets and businesses in much of downtown Baltimore for several days.
The fire and burst water main damaged power cables and left 1,200 Baltimore buildings without electricity.