Federal investigators on Tuesday pinned the blame for the 2006 derailment of a Norfolk Southern Corp. ethanol train in New Brighton, Pa., on an “inadequate” rail inspection and maintenance program.
A substandard maintenance program at the Norfolk-based railroad caused a section of rail to fracture, the National Transportation Safety Board said. The Federal Railroad Administration’s inadequate oversight of the rail inspection process and its insufficient requirements for rail inspection also contributed to the accident, the board found.
About 20 of 23 derailed cars released ethanol, causing a huge fire that burned for two days. There were no injuries or fatalities.
"Because Norfolk Southern did not have an adequate rail inspection and maintenance program, they put the public, crew and environment at risk,” said Mark V. Rosenker, the safety board’s chairman, in a statement.
Norfolk Southern spokesman Robin Chapman said Tuesday that he was not able to comment on the board’s ruling because it had not yet been reviewed by railroad officials.
Norfolk Southern, the nation’s fourth largest railroad, operates about 21,000 miles of track along the eastern United States and Canada.
Gregory Richards, (757) 446-2599, gregory.richards@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
Standby
I can just about see the lawyers are running to get in line for lawsuits now.