Norfolk Southern is making broad safety changes following the company’s third train derailment in just over a month.
A
Norfolk Southern train had 20 of its 212 cars derail on Saturday in
Springfield, Ohio. The company plans to reduce the length of its trains
to no more than 10,000 feet and add about 200 temperature detectors
along its tracks.
- The company also plans to review the temperature levels that set off alarms for train crews and add more acoustic sensors.
- Norfolk said it had spent $200M in safety measures over the last several years to avoid derailments.
- Norfolk Southern suffered a major train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, which released hazardous chemicals.
- No hazardous materials were on board during Saturday’s derailment.
- A
preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
said an overheated wheel bearing on a railcar was likely the cause of
the East Palestine 38-car derailment.
- Norfolk has about 1,000 temperature sensors throughout its network, spaced about 13.9 miles apart on average.
