Controlled release of chemicals at derailment succesfully completed, NS says

Screenshot of fireball and black smoke

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The controlled release of chemicals from derailed tank cars in East Palestine has been successful completed, Norfolk Southern said in a press release this afternoon (Monday, Feb. 6) As reported by the Review of East Liverpool, Ohio, the NS release said the chemical release “has been completed successfully under the supervision […]

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Authorities prepare ‘controlled release’ of chemicals at NS derailment

Aerial view of area along Ohio-Pennsylvania state line showing area under evacuation order

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Authorities are once again warning those near the site of a Norfolk Southern derailment to leave the scene, this time because they plan a “controlled release” this afternoon of the toxic chemical vinyl chloride from five derailed tank cars. “We are ordering you to leave,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said at […]

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Sheriff warns of arrests for those ignoring evacuation order near derailment (updated)

Aerial view of burning freight cars

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Authorities in Columbiana County, Ohio, have said they will arrest those ignoring the evacuation zone near a Norfolk Southern derailment and fire that occurred on Friday, citing the “high probability of a toxic gas release or explosion.” The announcement on the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page follows Sunday night’s evacuation […]

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Ohio governor issues new evacuation order for East Palestine, warning of possible tank car explosion (updated)

Aerial view of burning freight cars

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and officials in Columbiana County have issued a new evacuation order tonight (Sunday, Feb. 5) for those within a mile of the site of Friday’s derailment of a Norfolk Southern train, warning of a possible tank car explosion, WHIO-TV reports. Also, National Transportation Safety Board investigators have […]

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Vinyl chloride involved in fire from NS derailment, village says

Man speaks at podium facing TV cameras

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The chemical burning in the fire resulting from Friday’s derailment of a Norfolk Southern train is the flammable gas vinyl chloride, a potentially carcinogenic substance. The village of East Palestine identified the material in a news release Saturday afternoon, NBC News reports. The Environmental Protection Agency says “cancer is a major […]

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Norfolk Southern derailment in Ohio continues to burn (updated)

Large fire as seen from a distance

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The mayor of the town of East Palestine has declared a state of emergency as a fire continues to burn, following Friday night’s derailment of about 50 cars of a Norfolk Southern train near the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line. WKBN-TV reports Mayor Trent Conaway issued the emergency declaration just before 9:30 a.m. […]

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Chicago council approves deal allowing Norfolk Southern to move ahead with yard expansion

Aerial view of railroad yard and surrounding neighborhood

CHICAGO — Norfolk Southern’s effort to expand its 47th Street Yard on Chicago’s South Side has finally cleared a regulatory hurdle from the Chicago City Council. The Chicago Tribune reports that the council voted today (Wednesday, Feb. 1) to approve the land deal necessary for the railroad to expand the yard southward by adding intermodal […]

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NS touts industrial development projects in 2022

Norfolk Southern logo

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern and 120 companies worked together to facilitate 159 industrial development projects along the railroad’s network in 2022, NS said in a press release, with those projects representing $3.2 billion in investment and creating more than 3,900 new jobs. “In partnership with public and private sector leaders, Norfolk Southern is a catalytic […]

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Norfolk Southern reports record financial results but issues cautious outlook

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern set fourth-quarter and annual records for revenue and profits, but expects a slowing economy and declining freight demand to produce flat revenue and earnings this year. The big unknown: Will the railroad’s ongoing service improvements allow NS to offset anticipated traffic volume declines as the economy weakens? CEO Alan Shaw, speaking […]

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NS efforts to expand Chicago rail yard again blocked by city council member

Aerial view of railroad yard and surrounding neighborhood

CHICAGO — A Chicago alderwoman has blocked another city council vote on a move to transfer land from the city to Norfolk Southern Railway for expansion of its 47th Street Yard on the city’s South Side, bringing further delays to the project. WTTW-TV reports Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor of the 20th Ward, which includes the area […]

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Union Pacific, rail labor remain in mediation over ground-based conductor test program (updated)

Two men standing by train watch as another train goes by

The union representing conductors has thus far refused to participate in a pilot program Union Pacific wants to run to test the concept of shifting conductors to ground-based positions, The Associated Press reports. But UP remains in mediation with two SMART-TD committees and negotiations are ongoing about the proposed pilot program, railroad spokeswoman Robynn Tysver […]

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J.B. Hunt says rail service is improving, sees opportunity for growth this year

LOWELL, Ark. – J.B. Hunt executives say rail service is improving on BNSF Railway, CSX Transportation, and Norfolk Southern, which should enable the trucking company to gain additional intermodal volume this year. BNSF is now back to pre-pandemic service levels, Darren Field, president of J.B. Hunt’s intermodal division, said on the company’s quarterly earnings call […]

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