Norfolk Southern CEO: We’re committed to helping – Williams Environmental Justice Clinic

It has been almost five weeks since the tragic derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. On Thursday, I will appear before Congress to talk about the progress we’ve made cleaning the derailment site, providing financial assistance to residents whose lives have been disrupted, and investing in the future of the community. We have a responsibility to make it right, and we’re committed to do what it takes to help East Palestine recover and thrive.

We are also committed to working with public officials and the industry to make railroads safer. Every accident must be an opportunity to learn what can be done better.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report gives us a place to start. It confirmed that the crew was operating the train within our rules and below the speed limit. The sensors in place to identify overheated axles operated properly, and the crew took the appropriate action when they received the alert.

Yet we know there is more that can be done. And, as the NTSB continues its work, we are not waiting to act. As an initial step, we are strengthening our network of early-warning sensors. That means installing more safety devices along our tracks that identify overheated wheels and axles, and reducing the distances between them. Together with other railroads, we will launch a deeper analysis of the billions of data points the existing sensors generate to improve our ability to predict problems and respond to alerts along our routes. And we will make our safety culture the best in the industry. The events of the past month are not who we are as a company. I’ve had positive discussions with several union leaders about our shared goal of enhancing safety and look forward to collaborating.

We’re also accelerating the development and deployment of new technologies with the ability to proactively identify equipment in need of repair or replacement.

We have a responsibility to safely move every rail car that travels on our network, regardless of who owns it, who made it or where it comes from. We also know from the NTSB report that improving railroad safety will require the combined efforts of rail car owners, tank car manufacturers, leasing companies, equipment makers and the other railroad companies to make the nation’s rail network safer. It’s going to take all of us.

At the same time, we are firmly committed to the residents of East Palestine and the surrounding communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania. I’ve been to the area five times since the accident. Many of the people I’ve met are angry, scared and concerned about the future. I understand their skepticism that a big corporation such as Norfolk Southern will do the right thing, and we are determined to earn their trust.

Read more by Alan Shaw, the chief executive of Norfolk Southern: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/03/08/ohio-train-derailment-norfolk-southern-ceo/.