Pennsylvania representatives press Norfolk Southern following 2023 derailment

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WTAJ) — U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) have written a letter to Norfolk Southern after they failed to share critical safety information with local officials after a December 2023 derailment outside of Altoona.

In the letter, they expressed concerns about the company’s safety and labor practices and their impact on workers and residents in Altoona. This comes after a Dec. 20, 2023, derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in Logan Township. No one was injured in the derailment and no hazardous materials spilled as a result of the derailment.

However, local leaders, including the Mayor of Altoona and the Altoona Fire Chief, reported that Norfolk Southern’s information sharing was insufficient. This has raised questions as to what would happen if a more serious derailment was to occur.

In the letter, Casey and Fetterman pressed the company to answer several questions about why it failed to notify local leaders about the derailment and how the company would improve community outreach.

“Norfolk Southern may feel that less damaging derailments are not worth flagging for area leaders but developing and maintaining trust between railroads and local communities is critical. To some residents of Altoona and other Pennsylvania communities like it, any derailment creates a sense of fear that what happened in East Palestine, Ohio and Darlington Township, Pennsylvania may happen to them and their families,” The Senators wrote.

The letter also pressed the company to answer questions about its labor practices as it prepares to pursue a new scheduling operation entitled “Precision Scheduled Railroading 2.0.” When Norfolk Southern first pursued Precision Scheduled Railroading in 2019, the result was that more than 300 workers at the Juniata Shop in Altoona were laid off in just over two years.

“Norfolk Southern plays an important role in the economy of the City of Altoona and the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, creating jobs for skilled workers and moving the goods that power our economy. However, that importance does not supplant the company’s obligation to be a responsible member of the community and treat its workers with fairness,” the Senators wrote.

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You can read the full letter here .

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