Federal Railway Administration shares history of train derailments

SPRINGFIELD — Following the train derailments in East Palestine, Delaware, and Springfield Township, community members want answers about what Norfolk Southern will do to prevent future crashes.

One person told us the company needs to focus on the age of the tracks, saying, “if you go down and look at the track on the Woodline is at least 15 to 30 years old, so it’s probably very worn down.”

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Since 1990 there have been more than 54,539 train derailments nationwide, according to the Federal Railway Administration (FRA.)

In 2022, there were 11 train derailments where hazardous chemicals were involved. However, the numbers nearly doubled in previous years, with 20 derailments involving hazardous chemicals in 2020 and another 20 in 2018.

Clark County officials and a representative from Norfolk Southern reiterated no hazardous materials leaked during the crash in Springfield Twp.

>>PHOTOS: Ground images of Springfield train derailment

Connor Spielmaker, Senior Communications Manager for Norfolk Southern, said four tanker cars were involved in the crash, but none carried hazardous materials.

He told us crews spent hours Monday clearing cars from the track to allow tracks panels to be put back in following Saturday’s derailment.

“That was finished this morning,” Spielmaker said. “We made sure that those installations were done properly, of course, and ensure safety is top of mind there.”

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a statement late Monday afternoon.

“They will be looking at the condition of the track, the mechanical condition of the train, operations, the position of the cars in the train, and signal and train control among other things. They will also be collecting event recorder data, on-board image recorders, and will conduct interviews with the crew and other witnesses.”

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