Train companies are being warned to take certain railcars out of commission whose models may contain loose wheels after a discovery was made following a second Norfolk Southern train derailment last week near Springfield, Ohio.
This latest discovery increases to Norfolk Southern's safety troubles, according to Axios, and adds to multiple investigations from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). In response to the discovery, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) has issued an advisory to stop using steel coil cars as their wheelsets may have an "increased risk of an out-of-gauge derailment."
"This is an uncommon defect that can create horizontal movement in the car as it travels down the track and could lead to a derailment," AAR spokeswoman Jessica Kahanek said.
She added that 675 cars were initially identified and impacted by the advisory and should not be used or interchanged "until those wheel sets can be replaced."
Norfolk Southern promptly informed the NTSB and FRA about the problem with its own wheels, saying in a statement that it "acted swiftly" and issued orders to remove such cars from service until their wheelsets could be replaced. The company has also allegedly taken steps to remove these specific models from service until they are fully inspected.
"We are committed to making the rail industry safer," a Norfolk Southern spokesperson said. "We will analyze and address the NTSB's investigation results when they are available, but we are not waiting to act."
Nonetheless, according to Fortune, rail workers and union leaders have raised concerns about "underinvestment, cost-cutting, and pushback against safety protocols" throughout the railroad industry in recent years. A union representing Norfolk Southern workers warned federal regulators months ago that the company disregarded its own safety rules, a Bloomberg report outlined.
The railroad industry has faced criticism in recent years from rail workers and union leaders, citing underinvestment, cost-cutting, and pushback against safety protocols. The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, which handles construction work on lines, warned that it does not have enough workers to install new safety measures following the Ohio derailments.
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