WASHINGTON, D.C. — Pennsylvania U.S. sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman are calling on Norfolk Southern to join the Federal Railroad Administration’s Confidential Close Call Reporting System.
They want Norfolk Southern Chief Executive Officer Alan Shaw to “commit to a culture of safety” and join the program, known as C3RS, which acts as an anonymous “near-miss” reporting system.
- Pennsylvania U.S. sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman are calling on Norfolk Southern to join the Federal Railroad Administration’s Confidential Close Call Reporting System
- They say it would be an important first step toward the company taking accountability for the Feb. 3 toxic derailment in East Palestine, Ohio
- The lawmakers sent a letter to Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw on Friday
The lawmakers say it would be an important first step toward the company taking accountability for the Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio that released toxic chemicals into the region.
Fetterman and Casey sent a letter to Shaw on Friday highlighting that Norfolk Southern has not yet joined C3RS despite saying shortly after the derailment that it would.
“C3RS is a promising program with real potential to improve rail safety, protect employees, and reduce incidents if adopted by a larger swath of the rail industry,” the letter said.
It noted it ensures confidentiality and protects against retribution against employees who make reports.
Friday's letter is among the latest measures in a series of actions sens. Casey and Fetterman have taken to push for accountability on the East Palestine derailment.
Additional derailments
Since February, there have also been additional derailments of Norfolk Southern trains in Pennsylvania, including on May 11 in New Castle, Lawrence County.
Reports say that incident caused significant damage to a bridge and the train tracks, but no hazardous materials were involved.
A Norfolk Southern train also derailed Aug. 12 in Allegheny County. In that case, seven empty cars fell off of the tracks while the majority remained upright, officials said.
On July 17, a freight train derailment in Montgomery County also sparked precautionary evacuations, but officials said no injuries were reported and there was no hazard to the public.
The 40-car CSX train, which was operating on tracks owned by Norfolk Southern, derailed around 4:50 a.m. in Whitemarsh Township. CSX said at least 16 cars went off the tracks.
‘Preventing more serious catastrophes’
In the letter, both Fetterman and Casey said ensuring that employees are not disciplined for reporting near-misses is key to making the C3RS program effective.
“Employees are more likely to report these incidents when they have a guarantee of anonymity and safety from retribution, the letter said. "In turn, addressing the near-misses reported through C3RS makes rail safer by preventing more serious catastrophes.”
The letter said highlighted a recent Federal Railroad Administration safety culture assessment of Norfolk Southern.
The assessment found that a third of craft employees surveyed expressed a reluctance to stop unsafe action on the railways because of a fear of retaliation or disciplinary action.
"Addressing the near-misses reported through C3RS makes rail safer by preventing more serious catastrophes."A letter from Sens. Casey and Fetterman to Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw
That could have an impact on the Lehigh Valley, where Norfolk Southern railroad tracks wind through many neighborhoods, and the trains that use them also are operated by Norfolk Southern and may haul hazardous materials.
Explainer: Toxic gases connected to train derailment near Pa. border. Could it happen here?
The Lehigh Line carries dozens of trains a day, running from Port Reading Junction in Manville, New Jersey, to Penn Haven Junction in Lehigh Township, Carbon County. It crosses the Delaware River at Phillipsburg, New Jersey.
The majority of the trains on the Lehigh Line are intermodal trains, carrying trailers and containers to and from ports and businesses. But some also carry hazardous commodities, which are required to be identified by proper shipping name and hazard class and must include all other information required by regulations of the U.S. Transportation Department.
