A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, after a controlled burn of chemicals from a derailed Norfolk Southern train, on Feb. 6.Norfolk Southern, the company whose train derailed and released toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, last month, once had the lowest accident rate of all the major train companies in the U.S. But while other big rail lines have more than halved their accident rates in the past 20 years, Norfolk Southern’s has stayed largely the same.
As a category, train accidents include derailments, collisions and other similar incidents involving rail equipment. Russell Quimby, who served as a National Transportation Safety Board accident investigator for more than 20 years, said that overall, train companies’ business has bounced back since pandemic lockdowns, but workforce levels have remained stagnant since prior reductions.“They’re lucky to get sufficient rest, so many are chronically fatigued all the time,” Quimby said. “That has a major effect on morale and safety.
All seven major U.S. railroad companies have also increased the length of trains in recent years, according to a Government Accountability Office report published in December. One company, unnamed in the report, said the percentage of trains operating at nearly two miles in length increased from less than 3% in 2017 to more than 25% in 2021.
Jonathon Long, chairman of the American Rail System Federation union, said in a letter to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine earlier this month that Norfolk Southern has been on a “quest for more record breaking profits at the sacrifice of safety.”
number of cars, number of miles, hours? need more data please
Newsflash; it’s time to take down your train derailment decorations. It’s now time to decorate for bank closing season. BidenDestroyingAmerica
Norfolk Southern accidents caused by human error rose from almost 40% of its accidents in 2003 to nearly 60% in 2022, according to data reviewed by .