Two More Norfolk Southern Derailments, Two People Taken to Hospital

There were two more Norfolk Southern derailments on Saturday.

There was one in Jasper, Alabama late Saturday night.

At least 11 cars derailed spilling diesel fuel and engine oil, and at least two people were hurt and taken to the hospital when the locomotive rolled over on its side.

“According to Norfolk Southern, the train crew was briefly trapped in the engine room because the engine tilted over. There were no major injuries, but RPS was called to the scene to evaluate the crew and transported two crew members as a precaution,” Jasper Police wrote in a statement.

“Jasper Fire called all personnel in to assist the crew in getting out of the train and managing the scene, along with Jasper Police. Norfolk Southern and Walker County EMA are remaining on the scene to return the track to service,” the statement continued.

Norfolk acknowledged the spillage in its statement on the derailment on Sunday.

“During the derailment, the locomotive rolled onto its side and as a result spilled some diesel fuel and engine oil. Norfolk Southern crews have responded and have been working through the night on cleanup. We’d also like to thank the first responders who quickly arrived on-scene and took care of our crew,” the company wrote.

They also had another derailment in Pittsburgh earlier in the morning when 5 empty cars came off the tracks in Pittsburgh, near Telford and West Carson Streets in the Esplen neighborhood.

Five empty Norfolk Southern train cars derail in Pittsburgh https://t.co/KoMwZLUwG4

— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 9, 2023

No one was injured and nothing was spilled in that one. It wasn’t clear what caused the mishap.

These are just the latest in a slew of derailments that happened since the big one in East Palestine that caused environmental damage and exposure to the area.

So what’s going on here with these accidents, and in particular the derailments with Norfolk Southern? Is anyone in the Biden White House even focused on the question? It doesn’t seem like they give a darn, as we saw with their response to East Palestine. After promising that he would go visit the people affected by the toxic chemical exposure and the environmental contamination in the area after making some shockingly bad remarks about the disaster, Biden still hasn’t gone, despite going to Ukraine and a host of other places since that derailment in February.

The NTSB opened an investigation into Norfolk Southern’s safety practices last month. They noted that Norfolk Southern has been involved in “five significant accidents” since December 2021 in which three people have been killed.

The NTSB is concerned that several organizational factors may be involved in the accidents, including safety culture. The NTSB will conduct an in-depth investigation into the safety practices and culture of the company.

While the NTSB has questions about its safety practices, what Norfolk Southern does seem to spend a lot of time and attention on is climate stuff and its DEI agenda.

For example, Norfolk Southern in 2021 announced with great fanfare that it was devoting $500 million in a two-year period – including $330 million in 2021 – to “green bonds” promoting “low-carbon initiatives.”

Included in Norfolk Southern’s $500 million climate agenda is a $275 million program to refurbish locomotives to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Another $10 million is devoted to implement expensive technology to reduce fuel use and, therefore, carbon dioxide emissions.

and

According to the Daily Caller, Norfolk Southern devoted significant company resources appointing multiple DEI officials. The railway also praised itself in company press releases for devoting railway funds to “diverse” student groups across the country.

“A key element of the Board’s understanding of human capital management strategies is ensuring that we create a workplace that is committed to DEI,” Norfolk Southern Lead Director Steven F. Leer wrote to shareholders, according to the Daily Caller.

Meanwhile, they have declined to commit to paying long-term health costs after the East Palestine accident, showing exactly what they care about and it isn’t the people who have been harmed by their derailment.

Here’s a thought — maybe spend more time on making sure your trains stay on the tracks and are safe for people on them? That’s supposed to be the chief focus. Commit to making whole the people who have been injured.