Monday, July 01, 2024

Failed Wheel Bearing Caused Norfolk Southern Derailment

The National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday that a rail car's defective wheel bearing caused the derailment and subsequent hazardous material release in East Palestine, Ohio, last year. NTSB investigators said that the derailment occurred when a bearing on a hopper car failed and overheated, leading to the fiery February 3, 2023, derailment in the center of this small Ohio town.

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Comments

Will the RR's respond accordingly, and monitor the status of their equipment more closely?


#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-07-01 01:14 AM

Will the RR's respond accordingly, and monitor the status of their equipment more closely?

Not voluntarily for sure. The NTSB's main concern seem to be the continued use of DOT-111 type tank cars. The fire resulting from the derailment was started by the rupture of one of those cars.

From their recommendations:

Voluntary industry action to improve the safety of the tank car fleet by completing the phase out of remaining DOT-111 tank cars in flammable liquids service ahead of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act mandate is feasible, but such action is unlikely
because of economic and business disincentives.
Doesn't sound promising.

#2 | Posted by REDIAL at 2024-07-01 01:22 AM

I read there's an average of three train derailments a day.
www.npr.org

Kinda surprising things like this don't happen more often, considering there's three train derailments a day.

#3 | Posted by snoofy at 2024-07-01 10:01 AM

One's gotta wonder if Northern Southern has the cost of derailments built into their fee schedule.

#4 | Posted by Yodagirl at 2024-07-01 12:51 PM

...cost of derailments built into their fee schedule.

Probably not specifically but you can bet their insurance premiums are built in.

#5 | Posted by REDIAL at 2024-07-01 12:58 PM

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