EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Norfolk Southern has completed removal of soil underneath and between tracks of its main line through East Palestine, the railroad announced Monday, completing a process that had been ongoing since the Feb. 3 derailment. “We promised to listen to residents and support East Palestine for the long haul. Fully cleaning up […]
Railroad: Norfolk Southern
NTSB East Palestine hearing focuses on role of car inspection, wayside detectors
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The National Transportation Safety Board put a spotlight on Norfolk Southern’s car inspection practices and railroad industry wayside detector standards during its second day of field hearings on the disastrous Feb. 3 derailment of NS train 32N in this town on the Pennsylvania border. The derailment, which spilled hazardous materials initially […]
South Carolina legislature provides more funding for Saluda Grade trail
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — South Carolina’s legislature has set aside an additional $10 million for development of the Saluda Grade Rail Trail, the Spartanburg Post and Courier reports. Lawmakers had already earmarked $5 million for the project before Norfolk Southern agreed to sell the dormant 31-mile, two-state rail route, once the steepest main line in the […]
NTSB East Palestine hearing centers on decision to vent and burn tank cars of vinyl chloride
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — During a rare on-site public hearing on Thursday, the National Transportation Safety Board delved into the chain of events that led to the venting and burning of tank cars laden with vinyl chloride following the Feb. 3 derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train. The big question: Was the venting and […]
NTSB hearing on East Palestine derailment begins with look at first-responder concerns
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Concerns about firefighter training, communication between responding agencies, and the ability of first responders to receive information on hazardous materials were a focus of the morning session as National Transportation Safety Board began its hearing into the Feb. 3 derailment of Norfolk Southern train 32N, and the subsequent fire and chemical […]
Norfolk Southern to fund $25 million renovation of East Palestine park
EAST PALESTINE — East Palestine’s city council has approved a master plan for revitalizing the city’s main park, a project being funded entirely by Norfolk Southern. The park improvements are expected to cost more than $25 million, bringing the railroad’s total financial commitment to the community since the Feb. 3 derailment to approximately $62 million, […]
NS sells land in Georgia for breakbulk facility
SAVANNAH, Ga. — Bulk storage firm Colonial Terminals has purchased 16.7 acres from Norfolk Southern in Savannah to develop a breakbulk facility along the Savannah River, the two companies have announced. The land is adjacent to a Norfolk Southern rail terminal and an existing Colonial Terminal riverfront facility. The new rail-served facility should allow in […]
NTSB releases witness list for East Palestine hearing
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board on Friday released the list of witnesses scheduled to appear at next week’s investigative hearing on the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment and hazardous material release in East Palestine, Ohio. That hearing is scheduled for June 22-23 at East Palestine High School and will deal with the decision […]
The Atlas O Multi-Max autorack
The Atlas O Master Gunderson Multi-Max Auto Carrier is out after an almost two-year wait. The company announced the newly tooled cars in its Summer 2021 catalog. For modern operator-collectors with the real estate on their layout, having an autorack train is a virtual must. Before the announcement of these the only scale option was […]
Michigan announces $19 million in grants for freight rail projects
LANSING, Mich. — Ten railroads will receive a total of $19 million for a dozen projects as the first round of recipients for the Michigan Rail Enhancement Grant Program announced today (Friday, June 9). The 2023 projects funded by the state Department of Transportation, selected in a competitive process, will improve rail safety, operational efficiency, […]
Norfolk Southern rail labor locomotive makes debut at town hall
ATLANTA — At a companywide town hall meeting that focused on safety and the importance of labor-management collaboration, Norfolk Southern last week debuted a locomotive that includes the logos of all 12 railroad labor unions. AC44C6M No. 4693 served as a backdrop for the event, which was held on Thursday at Bellevue Yard in Ohio […]
The steepest railroad grade is no more
Saluda Grade The famous Saluda Grade in western North Carolina has seen its last train. Railbanked in December 2001, nature has slowly but surely reclaimed the right-of-way. Now, in 2023, an agreement has been reached to sell the railroad to become a hiking trail. Let’s look back at the years when Norfolk Southern operated the […]