Another Norfolk Southern train derailment caught a town in Pennsylvania off guard, making it the company’s third derailment in just two months. This latest derailment underscores the need for stronger regulations and oversight to prevent future accidents of this kind.
It has happened again. On Saturday, a Norfolk Southern train derailed in Pittsburgh, the third time in eight weeks that the company’s rail units have come adrift.
An empty five-car train derailed between 9:30 and 10:00 on Saturday morning in Pittsburgh’s West End, according to public safety officials.
A news release by the City of Pittsburgh read, “The cars were empty and there were no hazards or injuries associated with the derailment.”
This incident comes about two months after Norfolk Southern’s train derailed about 50 miles northwest of Pittsburgh in East Palestine, Ohio. As a result of the derailment, hazardous chemicals were released and Norfolk Southern’s safety practices were investigated.
Norfolk Southern is being sued by the United States Justice Department on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act.
At the time, Attorney General Merrick Garland stated, “When a Norfolk Southern train derailed last month in East Palestine, Ohio, it released toxins into the air, soil and water, endangering the health and safety of people in surrounding communities.”
In the wake of the Pittsburgh derailment, calls for increased safety measures and stricter regulations are reverberating throughout the community. There is no doubt that proactive measures are needed to mitigate the risk of similar incidents occurring in the future. Whether it be improving rail monitoring technology or conducting more frequent inspections and maintenance, there must be a concerted effort to prioritize the safety of both rail workers and the communities around them. Failure to address the root cause of these derailments could have catastrophic consequences, and so swift action is urgently needed. The people of Pittsburgh, and indeed all Americans rely on the railways to transport goods safely, and it’s time for the industry to step up and ensure they are fulfilling this responsibility.
