Who Is
Norfolk Southern?
Norfolk Southern is a Class I freight railroad company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. It operates nearly 20,000 miles of rail across 22 states and the District of Columbia, “connecting 800 industrial sites, 175 warehouses, and 43 ports.” Valued at over $60 billion and with annual revenues exceeding $12 billion, it’s the fourth-largest freight railroad in North America and, alongside CSX Transportation, has a duopoly over freight rail in the Eastern United States.
With such an extensive operation, the company understandably attempts to project a culture of safety and responsibility. But behind the scenes, the company has a track record of dubious policy – like downsizing skilled inspectors and exploiting regulatory loopholes to cut corners on safety – practices that can, and often do, have catastrophic consequences.
This was the case with the derailment that occurred in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 3, 2023, when an overheated wheel bearing caused 38 cars carrying hazardous materials to derail, igniting a fire that burned for days and releasing toxic chemicals into the air. Fears of explosion prompted Norfolk Southern officials to trigger a “controlled release” of vinyl chloride by draining it into trenches and setting it on fire, releasing dangerous clouds of hydrogen chloride and phosgene gas. Although nearby residents were evacuated, three-quarters of the town’s population reported lingering health issues a year later, including skin irritation, epilepsy, and chemical bronchitis. Cleanup efforts removed millions of gallons of contaminated water and tens of thousands of tons of tainted soil, but researchers found evidence that pollution from the disaster spread across 16 states, affecting 540,000 square miles – 14% of the United States.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found the controlled release was not necessary for safety, but was potentially a cost-cutting decision – a view that was corroborated by scientists, politicians, and industry experts. Similarly, the factors that contributed to the accident – including outdated brake systems, reliance on precision scheduled railroading (PSR), reduced staffing, and insufficient inspections – can also be attributed to financial motives.
Unfortunately, derailments are not rare for Norfolk Southern. A 2002 accident in Farragut, Tennessee, released sulfuric acid, forcing 2,600 evacuations. In 2005, a collision in Graniteville, South Carolina, spilled sixty tons of chlorine gas, causing nine fatalities and thousands of injuries. And more recently, the 2018 Station Square derailment in Pittsburgh was attributed to faulty rails – another preventable issue.
Norfolk Southern has consistently joined other railroad companies in lobbying for weaker rail regulations, spending millions to oppose safety measures. In 2023, in the aftermath of the East Palestine disaster, momentum started to build behind the bipartisan Railway Safety Act, which would have enacted stronger safety standards for all railroads. During that same year, Norfolk Southern spent $2,340,000 on lobbying – a 30% increase over the previous year. That bill has since stagnated, and with the incoming administration it may never be passed. For 2024, Norfolk Southern’s lobbying expenses have returned to their pre-East Palestine levels, indicating a return to business as usual.