“A preliminary report found that the Norfolk Southern crew operated the train below the speed limit and in an authorized manner, although it is clear that the safety measures were inadequate,” Mr. Shah said.
Federal investigators found a wheel bearing in one of the train’s cars was overheating, but an alarm didn’t alert staff until it passed a sensor far from the derailment. Safety experts say the disaster could have been avoided if more sensors had been placed closer to the train tracks.
The National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday it has opened a special investigation into safety practices at Norfolk Southern, which has suffered five significant crashes since December 2021. Another of the company’s freight trains derailed Saturday near Springfield, Ohio. Hours before the trial, another Norfolk Southern train derailed in Alabama. According to company spokeswoman Katelyn Byrd, there were no reports of injuries and no hazardous materials were released. Norfolk Southern’s accident rate has increased over the past four years. According to a recent company presentation.
On Capitol Hill Thursday, Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Debra Shore and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Anne Vogel assured lawmakers that air and water quality around communities is safe and that the agencies continue to work. Test should be conducted.
“If the company fails to complete any of the EPA-mandated actions, the agency will immediately step in, perform the necessary work, and force Norfolk Southern to pay three times the cost,” Ms. Shore said.
Senator Bernie Sanders, independent from Vermont, Mr. Shaw questioned that this reduced precision-planned railroading, rail yard workers, inspectors, and equipment required to adhere to strict train schedules, which was a detriment to safety.
“The workers of your company and other railway companies are now being asked to do more work with less manpower, which includes safety inspections,” said Mr. Sanders said. “Even before this disaster in East Palestine, we were told about the potential security risks.”
