Robert Besser
18 Mar 2023, 22:59 GMT+10
WASHINGTON D.C.: US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said that following the East Palestine, Ohio derailment of a Norfolk Southern Corp train, a federal investigation into safety practices of all seven major freight railroads must take place.
The National Transportation Safety Board should launch an investigation of Norfolk Southern, BNSF Railway, CSX, Union Pacific, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, and Kansas City Southern, Schumer wrote in a letter.
Over the past five years, freight rail companies have had "over 26,500 accidents and incidents and 2,768 deaths, all while cutting roughly 20 percent of their workforce," he stressed.
Schumer also accused the seven freight carriers of a "dangerous industry-wide trend that puts profits over people's safety."
"Norfolk Southern is not the only rail company that has spent years lobbying to loosen regulations, neglect safety upgrades and lay off workers," he said a Senate speech this week.
On the sidelines at an event, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said she had received Schumer's letter, but was unclear if the agency has the authority to conduct the proposed probe.
"We will evaluate it and see what is possible," Homendy said.
Last week, the National Transportation Safety Board said it was opening a "special investigation" and urged Norfolk Southern "to take immediate action today to review and assess its safety practices."
A Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, on 3rd February, causing the release of over 1 million gallons of harmful pollutants.
Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw apologized for the derailment and promised to improve his company's safety practices.
Get a daily dose of Philadelphia Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Philadelphia Herald.
More InformationNEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks moved higher Thursday as investors and traders took a break from their recent ...
LISBON, Portugal: Carsten Spohr, Chief Executive of Lufthansa, has said that as Portugal's government is still debating whether to sell ...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks were divided on Wednesday, with the technology and industrial sectors parting ways.Tech stocks ...
HOLLYWOOD, California: More than tripling the debut of its 2018 animated original predecessor, Sony Pictures' "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" opened ...
PARIS, France: European plane manufacturer Airbus is reported to be close to a record agreement to sell 500 narrow-body jets ...
TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan: DuPont, Chemours and Corteva have reached an agreement to pay $1.18 billion to resolve complaints of causing ...
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and members of the city's historical commission have been sued by a group which ...
LANSING, Michigan: Michigan's Department of Natural Resources said by a wildfire in the state has burned through more than 3 ...
ISTANBUL, Turkey: In an interview with Reuters, Willie Walsh, director-general of the International Air Transport Association, (IATA), said airlines are ...
SACRAMENTO, California: Sixteen migrants from Venezuela and Colombia, who had entered the United States through Texas, were transported to California ...
GRAND ISLE STATE PARK, Louisiana: Almost two years after Hurricane Ida struck the barrier island and destroyed most of its ...
YANGON, Myanmar - A regime court sentenced to death five people detained for their alleged involvement in a deadly August ...