EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a preliminary report on the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) train derailment that occurred on February 3, 2023, in East Palestine, Ohio. The incident caused fires that damaged 12 additional railcars, but fortunately, there were no fatalities or injuries reported. However, the derailment led to a 1-mile evacuation zone that affected up to 2,000 residents.
The train, which consisted of 149 railcars, was carrying hazardous materials, including 20 placarded tank cars carrying combustible and flammable liquids and gas. The train was traveling at approximately 47 mph, which was less than the maximum authorized timetable speed of 50 mph. The train was also equipped with a positive train control system that was enabled and operating at the time of the derailment.
According to the NTSB report, the derailment was caused by a suspected hot bearing on the 23rd car that was detected by a hot-bearing detector (HBD) system. The HBD transmitted an audible alarm message to the train crew instructing them to slow down and stop the train. However, an automatic emergency brake application was initiated, causing the derailment.
After the incident, responders worked to mitigate the fire that had broken out, but five derailed tank cars carrying 115,580 gallons of vinyl chloride continued to concern authorities. The temperature inside one tank car was still rising, suggesting that the vinyl chloride was undergoing a polymerization reaction, which could pose an explosion hazard. Responders scheduled a controlled venting of the five vinyl chloride tank cars, expanded the evacuation zone to a 1-mile by 2-mile area, and dug ditches to contain released vinyl chloride liquid while it vaporized and burned.
The NTSB’s investigation into the incident is ongoing, and the agency has not yet determined the cause of the hot bearing on the 23rd car. The entire investigation report, including findings and recommendations, is expected to be released in the coming months.
