Another Norfolk Southern train derails, this time in Alabama
Gene J. Puskar/AP
- Another Norfolk Southern train derailed, this time in Jasper, Alabama, police say.
- The derailment follows a Norfolk Southern train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio in February, spilling toxic chemicals into the environment.
- Norfolk Southern says that the train that derailed in Alabama was not carrying hazardous materials, police say.
Another day, another train derailment in the United States.
A Norfolk Southern train went off the tracks near Jasper, Alabama, on Sunday, trapping the train's crew in the engine room briefly after the engine car tipped over, the Jasper police said in a statement.
"There were no major injuries, but [Regional Paramedic Services] was called to the scene to evaluate the crew and transported two crew members as a precaution. "
The derailment comes two months after another Norfolk Southern train came off the tracks in East Palestine, Ohio, spilling hazardous chemicals and forcing the partial evacuation of the town for several weeks. Animals started dying at alarming rates near the town after officials conducted a "controlled release" of the chemicals on board.
Rail unions say cost-cutting measures have caused railroads to become unsafe in recent years and have called for strengthened safety measures, according to USA Today. The incident rate of train accidents in 2022 was 16.75, an increase from 15.42 in 2020, Federal Railroad Administration data shows.
The Jasper Police Department said that Norfolk Southern officials confirmed that there were no hazardous chemicals on board the train that derailed on Sunday. Norfolk Southern told Insider in a statement that 11 cars and the lead locomotive of the train derailed and rolled onto its side, spilling some diesel fuel and engine oil.
"There are no reports of a hazmat situation or danger to the public," the statement said. "Our two crew members were transported to the hospital and have since been released."