NS takes action on FRA safety culture recommendations

Norfolk Southern Railway yesterday announced it has implemented measures to address recommendations stemming from the Federal Railroad Administration's 2023 assessment of the railroad’s safety culture.

Issued in August 2023 in response to the February 2023 derailment of an NS hazmat train in East Palestine, Ohio, the assessment resulted in recommendations for safety culture improvements in the areas of communications, training, trust and going above and beyond regulatory minimums, NS officials said in a press release.

Working with its independent safety consultant AtkinsRealis US Nuclear, NS responded to the recommendations with action items and launched initiatives to implement all items and will monitor those actions to ensure effectiveness, company officials said.

The FRA safety assessment can be read here.

Today, the National Transportation Safety Board is meeting in East Palestine to discuss its investigation into the NS train derailment, as well as recommendations for improvement.