The train still runs through the town of Hyndman as people try to get back to normal.

“Two days ago was the first we were allowed back in to check everything,” Edward H. Kennell said. “Up until then it was a mystery what it looked like on the inside.”

However, nearly two weeks later the wreck is still a sight for sore eyes leaving the town torn apart.

Kennell lives in one of the few houses still blocked off.

“They told us we couldn’t come back before November 1st, but they’re here today assessing the property,” Kennell told us. “There’s a possibility we could be back by September 1st.”

Crews have been working around the clock to clear the mess.

Bedford County leaders are trying to speed up the process by declaring Hyndman a disaster emergency.

Once clear, first responders told us the focus is making sure something like this doesn’t happen again.

“We have to look at the future and we have to say how many times can we roll the dice in these situations,” Dave Cubbison from the Bedford County EMA said. “Our law makers need to hear the whistle blowing the same way these people heard the explosion in the middle of the night.”

In the meantime, people like Kennell just want to get back home and see their community rebuild.

“If they tell me tonight, I’m packing,” Kennell said with a smile.

Cubbison said he’s hoping to get better cell service and a bridge that goes over the tracks. He said both of these things can make dealing with disasters like this a little easier.

CSX is covering the cost of clean-up, repairs, and moving people back home.