Safety agency opens probe of rail operator Norfolk Southern
Federal investigators on Tuesday announced a special investigation into rail operator Norfolk Southern
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Federal investigators on Tuesday announced a special investigation into rail operator Norfolk Southern following a fiery derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border in February and several other accidents, including the death of a train conductor this week.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it will begin a broad look at the railroad's safety culture, saying it has sent investigation teams to look into five significant accidents involving Norfolk Southern since December 2021.
The agency also said it was urging the company to take immediate action to review and assess its safety practices.
Norfolk Southern announced plans on Monday to improve the use of detectors placed along railroad tracks to spot overheating bearings and other problems in response to the derailment in Ohio a month ago.
The National Transportation Safety Board has said the crew operating the train that derailed Feb. 3 outside East Palestine, Ohio, got a warning from such a detector but couldn’t stop the train before more than three dozen cars came off the tracks and caught fire.
Half of the town of about 5,000 people had to evacuate for days when responders intentionally burned toxic chemicals in some of the derailed cars to prevent an uncontrolled explosion, leaving residents with lingering health concerns. Government officials say tests haven’t found dangerous levels of chemicals in the air or water in the area.
Norfolk Southern didn’t respond to a request for comment.