BOURNE, MASS. (WHDH) - State police are searching for a suspect who put multiple concrete blocks on the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad tracks that could have potentially derailed a train Thursday morning.
State Police Lt. Edward Blackwell responded to a report of vandalism and attempted derailment on the tracks near Mass. Maritime Academy in Bourne shortly before 9 a.m. and found five concrete blocks had been placed on the tracks, presumably overnight, according to state police.
Troopers and railroad workers removed the blocks from the track by 9:15 a.m.
State police say some of the blocks weighed about 200 pounds.
Troopers say those blocks could have easily derailed the train if the conductor had not seen them.
“If we hadn’t seen it and if we were going along a little bit faster – it was on a switch – it definitely could have caused a problem,” said Chris Podgurski of Cape Cod Central Railroad.
Surveillance video from the 10 p.m. the night before shows someone approaching the blocks and then placing them onto the tracks.
The blocks were on the platform to keep a tent that was put up for the holiday train, which runs until December, in place.
The blocks were not struck by any trains.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police.
(Copyright (c) 2025 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)