The oversized train broke down days before it was derailed in Ohio, employees said.

When the Norfolk Southern 32N derailed in Ohio earlier this month, it wasn’t the first time it had run into problems along the route.

The train, which departed Madison, Illinois on the evening of Feb. 1, broke down at least once before derailing in East Palestine, Ohio on Feb. 3, according to staff familiar with the matter.

Employees say there were concerns among those working on the train over what they thought was the excessive length and weight of the train – 151 cars, 9,300 feet long, 18,000 tons – before it reached Eastern Palestine, which contributed to both the initial breakdown and the derailment. .

In the two weeks since then, many residents who were at home at the time of the crash or returned after authorities carried out a “toxic release” of hazardous chemicals on board have told CBS News they are suffering from headaches, rashes and respiratory problems. and a painful cough.

“We should not run 150-car trains,” one employee said. “There should be some restrictions on the weight and length of trains. In this case, if the train had not weighed 18,000 tons, it is highly likely that the effects of the derailment would have been mitigated.”

CBS News agreed not to name the employees because they fear retribution from Norfolk Southern.

Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw declined to be interviewed. In a statement to CBS News, a company spokesman said that “the weight distribution of this train was the same throughout” and included a locomotive in the middle of the train “which helps manage the dynamic forces of the train” and reduces mechanical problems.

“Giving a ‘reputation’ to a train that regularly fluctuates by thousands of tons is inaccurate,” the spokesman said of observations about the train’s length and weight, adding that “a longer, heavier train was on the route.” before it was “split into two shorter, lighter trains over the past few months as part of a regular inspection”.

However, the derailed train is considered “very long,” according to Sarah Feinberg, who served as Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) administrator from 2015 to 2017.

“When I was the FRA administrator, I was not happy with the length of the trains, and they were 80 or 90 cars,” Feinberg said. “This train was 50% longer.”

Feinberg said longer trains are more efficient for rail companies and their executives, but more difficult for crews tasked with en-route repairs, a job that requires the train to run its entire length to identify problems.

Employees described a system stretched to the limit.

“The workers are tired, vehicle inspection time has been drastically reduced, and the sizes of these trains are not regulated,” one employee said.

In Eastern Palestine, 38 wagons derailed, starting a fire that damaged 12 more wagons. On Sunday, Norfolk Southern handed over to the Environmental Protection Agency list the contents of the train, which revealed that 11 derailed cars were carrying hazardous materials, including the known carcinogens vinyl chloride and ethylhexyl acrylate.

The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the crash. In a statement on Tuesday, the agency said it “identified and investigated the rail car that caused the derailment” and cited surveillance video showing what appeared to be a wheel bearing in the final stages of overheating failure in a matter of moments. before going off the rails.

The derailment brought attention to Precision Schedule Railroading, or PSR, a strategy that has become widespread in the rail industry and is designed to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Norfolk Southern implemented PSR in 2019.

According to the December report According to the Government Accountability Office, PSR has resulted in an increase in train lengths and an overall staff reduction of around 28% among the country’s seven largest freight railroads, including Norfolk Southern.

“Railroads want to keep costs down, and as they cut costs, the risks generally go up,” Feinberg said.

According to Jared Cassity, director of the national legislature for one of the unions representing southern Norfolk workers, the PSR has led to fewer and shorter inspections of wagons like those that derailed in Ohio.

“There is a strong possibility that the wagon that derailed has not been properly inspected for some time,” Cassity said, adding that the company says freight car inspections should be completed in as little as 60 seconds. “You combine that with the added length and tonnage and the fact that it had all these dangerous materials in it and it was predictable. If nothing changes, it will happen again.”

Content Source

News Press Ohio – Latest News:
Columbus Local News || Cleveland Local News || Ohio State News || National News || Money and Economy News || Entertainment News || Tech News || Environment News

Related Articles

Back to top button