Norfolk Southern CEO Shaw visits East Palestine By | February 18, 2023 Railroad sets up website with community information Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw at a 2022 luncheon of the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers and Traffic Club of Chicago. David Lassen EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw made his second visit to East Palestine today (Saturday, Feb. 18), visiting the ongoing cleanup from the Feb. 3 derailment and chemical release, as well as meeting with Mayor Trent Conaway, U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, and other officials. WBKN-TV reports Shaw said the controlled release of vinyl chloride, which remains a point of contention, was the correct one and that it prevented “a much riskier event” because of the chemical involved. He also said that if the tracks that were laid down to restore service through East Palestine need to be removed to clean up contaminated soil underneath, NS will d...

  Arizona bill to limit trains to 8,500 feet advances in state legislature By | February 20, 2023 Committee’s 10-0 vote moves legislation to full House of Representatives BNSF Railway train Q-STOCHI6 09 leaves Seligman, Ariz., in its wake on Aug. 10, 2022. A bill in the state legislature would limit trains to a maximum length of 8,500 feet. Bill Stephens PHOENIX — A bill to limit the length of freight trains in the state of Arizona has cleared its first legislative hurdle, advancing through the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on Friday by a 10-0 vote with one abstention. HB 2531 would limit trains to 8,500 feet. Capitol Media Services reports that Rep. Consuelo Hernandez, one of the bill’s sponsors, cited the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment and hazardous-materials incident during Friday’s committee hearing, noting that railroad employees have expressed concerns about the safety of lo...

  Metra board approves new five-year strategic plan By | February 16, 2023 Document outlines steps to support move toward ‘regional rail’ model, reflecting changing travel needs Commuter train passes interlocking tower in golden afternoon light One of Metra’s recently rebuilt F59PH locomotives leads an outbound Milwaukee District-West train past Tower B17 in Bensenville, Ill., on June 24, 2022. David Lassen CHICAGO — The Metra board of directors has approved a new five-year strategic plan that aims to address the commuter rail system’s post-COVID challenges and set goals for its evolution to meet those challenges The 2023-27 plan, “My Metra, Our Future,” approved at Wednesday’s meeting, notes the need to adapt with ridership that currently is at 40% of pre-pandemic levels on weekdays and 60% on weekends, with many of the weekend riders using the system three days a week or less. It sets five core strategic goals as the Metra system intends to move toward a “regional rail” model pro...

  Truck driver killed, UP train derailed in Texas crossing collision By | February 14, 2023 Monday accident occurred about 40 miles north of Houston A truck driver was killed and at least 15 intermodal cars were reportedly derailed as a result of a Monday grade-crossing accident near Houston. East Montgomery County Fire Department, via Facebook SPLENDORA, Texas — A truck driver was killed and at least 15 cars of a Union Pacific intermodal train were derailed following a grade-crossing accident Monday morning in Splendora, about 40 miles north of Houston. Houston Public Media reports the accident occurred about 7:30 a.m. near the intersection of U.S. Route 59 and Fostoria and Midline roads. Lt. Troy Teller of the Splendora Police Department said 21 cars were derailed — other news reports quote other figures — and that UP hazardous-material teams were on site as a precaution. UP spokeswoman Robynn Tysver sai...

  NTSB updates preliminary information on East Palestine derailment By | February 14, 2023 Bearing suspected of overheating will be examined The NTSB has updated its preliminary information on the Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Sol Tucker WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board has updated its preliminary information on the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment and fire in East Palestine, Ohio, revising the count of cars that derailed to 38 and providing a link t o an Environmental Protection Agency list of what those cars were carrying. In all, the train included 20 cars of hazardous materials, 11 of which derailed. The NTSB says it has identified and examined the railcar that initiated the derailment. The wheel bearing suspected of overheating — based on video evidence — has been collected for metallurgical examination, as has the complete wheelset. The tank cars involved in the acc...

Ohio governor calls for Congress to act on movement of hazardous materials by rail By | February 15, 2023 DeWine says notification of states should be required The aftermath of the East Palestine derailment on Feb. 8, 2023. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is calling for Congress to require railroads to provide notification to states regarding the transport of hazardous materials. Sol Tucker COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has called for congressional action requiring railroads to provide notification when they are transporting hazardous materials through states in the wake of the Feb. 3 derailment and fire of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio. The Columbus Dispatch reports that in a Tuesday press conference, DeWine said he was told by the state’s Public Utilities Commission that the train was not properly classified, so the railroad was not required to provide any notification of the materials in...