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☆ US railroad group warns carriers to stop using cars with loose wheels
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - A group representing major U.S. railroads on Thursday warned carriers to stop using rail cars with loose wheels until those wheel sets can be replaced. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) said Norfolk Southern (NSC.N) had identified loose wheels on a series of cars that present an increased risk of an out of gage derailment. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it was looking at the role of the loose wheels in recent derailments and praised the industry action. Norfolk Southern had 517 railcars in use with the wheels at issue, she added. Norfolk Southern did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Sen. Markey on Norfolk Southern: You don't have a product till you've invested enough in safety
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSen. Markey on Norfolk Southern: You don't have a product till you've invested enough in safetyCNBC's Margaret Brennan with Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) join 'Closing Bell: Overtime' to discuss Norfolk Southern train derailments and what the company needs to do to improve safety.

☆ Norfolk Southern CEO to tell senators how he plans to 'make it right' after Ohio derailment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Drone footage shows the freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, U.S., February 6, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a handout video released by the NTSB. Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw will tell a U.S. Senate panel Thursday how he plans to "make it right" after one of the company's trains derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, last month. Other committees in Congress are also investigating the East Palestine derailment. On Saturday, another Norfolk Southern train derailed in Ohio, after which residents near Springfield were ordered to shelter in place. Hours after that derailment, internal emails obtained by CNBC indicated that Norfolk Southern was making broad safety adjustments to prevent future incidents.

☆ Union warns it has been left without enough workers to install new rail safety measures
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"Adding 1,000 more wayside detectors will create more work in the craft," said Michael Baldwin, president of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen. There is no federal mandate for detectors, including the hot box detector, to be inspected. "Norfolk Southern has hired and trained more than 150 new signal employees, and we continue to hire. We are committed to the safety and integrity of our defect detectors," said Connor Spielmaker, Norfolk Southern spokesman. Total Class I freight rail employment in January 2023 was 119,245, up 6.7% (7,491 employees) over January 2022.

☆ Factbox: What's in Biden's budget: taxes on buybacks, rail safety, childcare
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Buybacks Biden plans to propose quadrupling the 1% tax on stock buybacks that took effect in January, to encourage companies to invest in their growth instead of boosting shareholders. The White House has said taxing buybacks levels a distortion in the tax system. Rail safetyThe budget is expected to include millions in new funding for railroad safety measures after a series of high-profile accidents and derailments. Billionaire minimum income taxBiden is expected to reiterate his call for a 20% minimum tax on households worth more than $100 million. The White House refers to it as the "billionaire minimum income tax."

☆ NTSB to Probe Norfolk Southern Safety Culture After Derailments, Accidents
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Costas Paris | Dean Seal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The cleanup continued at the site of a Norfolk Southern freight train derailment last month in East Palestine, Ohio. Federal transportation safety investigators have opened a special investigation into Norfolk Southern Corp’s safety culture in connection with recent derailments and fatal accidents in the railroad’s operations. The National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday it was taking the step “given the number and significance” of accidents and called for Norfolk Southern to immediately review and assess its safety practices. The agency said it has launched investigations into five significant accidents involving Norfolk Southern since December 2021.

☆ US safety board opens probe into Norfolk Southern after derailments
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Norfolk Southern has been under fire after several derailments of its trains, particularly one on Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio that caused cars carrying toxic vinyl chloride and other hazardous chemicals to spill and catch fire. Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw is scheduled to testify on Thursday before a Senate committee on the East Palestine derailment. Since December 2021, NTSB has launched investigation teams to five significant accidents involving Norfolk Southern including a March 4 derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed near Springfield, Ohio. As part of the special investigation, the NTSB will also review a October 2022 Norfolk Southern derailment in Sandusky, Ohio. "The continued safe operations of Norfolk Southern is vital to the United States.

☆ NTSB opens special investigation into Norfolk Southern safety practices
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday said it opened a special investigation into Norfolk Southern after recent derailments. Norfolk Southern didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the NTSB probe. "When we walk out of there, I want to make sure that Norfolk Southern is doing what they need to do to make this right. On Saturday, another Norfolk Southern train derailed near Springfield, Ohio. The NTSB has launched investigations into five accidents involving Norfolk Southern, including the death of a Norfolk Southern conductor Tuesday morning in Cleveland after a dump truck collided with a train at a steel facility.

☆ Despite East Palestine toxic train disaster, railroads still want single-person crews
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The rail safety legislation, introduced in Congress Wednesday with bipartisan support, would include a prohibition on single-person crews. There is no such existing law or federal regulation requiring both an engineer and a conductor to be on a train. The Association of American Railroads confirmed that its position in favor of one-person crews has not changed. “No data shows a two-person crew confined to a cab is safer, and train crew size should continue to be determined through collective bargaining,” a statement from UP. But it might have one or two provisions which are deal breakers for the unions, such as allowing single-person crews.

☆ I'm an EPA worker who's responded to more than 100 toxic spills and chemical fires, and I'll never forget one that got my adrenaline going
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Kelly worked on disasters like the BP oil spill and lead drinking-water crisis in Flint, Michigan. I'm one of the 220 emergency responders that the EPA has across the country who's on call when there's a major oil spill or chemical fire, like after the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. There are also smaller events, like fires at oil refineries and paper mills and hazardous waste left behind by mines. EPA on-scene coordinators sample air, water, and buildings for toxic chemicals to determine public-health risks. Brian KellyThe EPA issues an enforcement order to the companies responsible for a spill or fire to take over the cleanup.

☆ Federal authorities release preliminary report on Norfolk Southern train derailment in Ohio
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Workers continue to clean up remaining tank cars, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, in East Palestine, Ohio, following the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern freight train derailment. Federal transportation officials released a preliminary report Thursday examining the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying dangerous chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio. On Feb. 3 at around 9 p.m., an eastbound Norfolk Southern freight train derailed, including 11 tank cars carrying hazardous materials that subsequently ignited. The Norfolk Southern train was equipped with a hot bearing detector system, designed to detect overheated bearings. Due to the possibility of a catastrophic explosion that could have sent shrapnel up to a mile, Norfolk Southern carried out a controlled release three days later.

☆ Buttigieg urges U.S. railroads to boost safety, not oppose reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/7] Drone footage shows the freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, U.S., February 6, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a handout video released by the NTSB. Buttigieg said he would soon outline specific safety improvements railroads should take immediately. He harshly criticized them for lobbying against steps "intended to improve rail safety and to help keep Americans safe." Buttigieg said he also planned to outline "prioritized actions planned" by the U.S. Department of Transportation on rail safety. In response to the derailment, U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell Friday opened an inquiry into railroad hazardous materials safety practices.

☆ Norfolk Southern has erased $5 billion in market value since the Ohio train derailment spilled toxic chemicals into East Palestine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Shares of Norfolk Southern have erased $5 billion in market value since the Ohio train derailment. On February 3, a Norfolk Southern train derailment released toxic chemicals in the community of East Palestine, Ohio. JPMorgan estimated Norfolk Southern will face costs related to the train derailment of as much as $50 million. Despite the efforts, investors have grown concerned about the potential costs Norfolk Southern will face in lawsuits and clean-up actions. So far, water tests have yet to show vinyl chloride entering the drinking water for residents in the East Palestine, Ohio area.

The derailment of the train, operated by Norfolk Southern (NSC.N), forced thousands of residents to evacuate while railroad crews drained and burned off chemicals. “We have mobilized a robust, multi-agency effort to support the people of East Palestine, Ohio," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing. [1/3] A view of a caution tape as members of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (not pictured) inspect the site of a train derailment of hazardous material in East Palestine, Ohio, U.S., February 16, 2023. DeWine called on Congress to review railroad safety regulations, lamenting states have little power to demand information about what types of hazardous goods are rolling through their borders. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Thursday more needs to be done to address rail safety in the face of hundreds of annual train derailments.

The derailment of the Norfolk Southern (NSC.N) operated train forced thousands of residents to evacuate while railroad crews drained and burned off chemicals. "This incident has understandably shaken this community to its core," Regan said at a press conference. Regan noted state and federal testing inside nearly 500 homes close to the derailment site shows that none of the toxic chemicals that were on the train are present in the air. He did urge residents who use private wells to continue using bottled water and to get their wells tested. [1/6] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan speaks during a press conference after inspecting the site of a train derailment of hazardous material in East Palestine, Ohio, U.S., February 16, 2023.

☆ Australia's Aurizon cuts earnings forecast on prolonged wet weather
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 13 (Reuters) - Australia's Aurizon Holdings (AZJ.AX) on Monday reported a 34% fall in its first-half underlying profit and slashed its annual core earnings forecast, as prolonged wet weather and a derailment dented the rail-haulage firm's freight volumes. For the first-half of 2023, the company's underlying net profit after tax stood at A$169 million, compared with A$257 million a year ago. Aurizon also declared an interim dividend of 7.0 Australian cents per share, down 33% from the 10.5 Australian cents dividend it declared a year ago. Shares of the firm fell 9.2% to A$3.35 after the earnings update. ($1 = 1.4468 Australian dollars)Reporting by Riya Sharma in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh.VOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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