The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Norfolk Southern to face special inquiry by NTSB

Agency to eye safety practices, corporate organizati­on.

- By Kelly Yamanouchi kelly.yamanouchi@ajc.com

The National Transporta­tion Safety Board announced Tuesday it is launching a special investigat­ion into Norfolk Southern’s corporate organizati­on and safety culture.

The new inquiry follows a national outcry over a fiery derailment on Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio, that released toxic chemicals into the air, soil and water, causing fear and uncertaint­y among residents in the surroundin­g area. That February incident was already under investigat­ion by the NTSB, and investigat­ors have already pinpointed overheated bearings as a cause.

Tuesday’s announceme­nt puts the Atlanta-based railroad under even greater scrutiny just as Norfolk Southern’s CEO is set to testify this week before the U.S. Senate.

“Given the number and significan­ce of recent Norfolk Southern accidents, the NTSB also urges the company to take immediate action today to review and assess its safety practices, with the input of employees and others, and implement necessary changes to improve safety,” NTSB said in an announceme­nt. “The continued safe operations of Norfolk Southern is vital to the United States. The NTSB is concerned that several organizati­onal factors may be involved in the accidents, including safety culture.”

The NTSB said since December 2021, it has launched investigat­ions into five significan­t accidents involving Norfolk Southern. Those include:

Dec. 8, 2021: An employee for National Salvage and Service Corporatio­n assigned to work with a Norfolk Southern work team replacing track was killed when the operator of a spike machine reversed direction and struck the employee in Reed, Pennsylvan­ia.

Dec. 13, 2022: A Norfolk Southern trainee conductor was killed, and another conductor was injured, when the lead locomotive of a Norfolk Southern freight train struck a steel angle iron protruding from a gondola car on another Norfolk Southern freight train that was stopped on an adjacent track in Bessemer, Alabama.

Feb. 3: A Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. The derailment resulted in a significan­t fire and hazardous materials release.

March 4: A 2.55-milelong Norfolk Southern freight train derailed near Springfiel­d, Ohio.

March 7: A Norfolk Southern employee was killed during a movement in Cleveland, Ohio.

The agency said it would also look into an Oct. 28, 2022, derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in Sandusky, Ohio.

The NTSB said it will conduct an in-depth investigat­ion into the safety practices and culture of the company but also said the company “should not wait to improve safety.”

After the NTSB pointed to overheated bearings as a cause of the East Palestine derailment, Norfolk Southern on Monday announced a plan to enhance its operationa­l safety, including adding more hot bearing detectors along rail lines and working to develop and deploy new technology to detect problems.

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