Back خروج قطار أوهايو عن مساره 2023 Arabic Чыгуначная катастрофа ў Агая (2023) Byelorussian Accident ferroviari d'Ohio del 2023 Catalan Železniční nehoda v East Palestine Czech Damwain drên East Palestine, Ohio Welsh Eisenbahnunfall von East Palestine German Accidente ferroviario de Ohio de 2023 Spanish 2023ko Ohioko trenaren istripua Basque East Palestinen junaonnettomuus Finnish Déraillement d'un train dans l'Ohio en 2023 French
| East Palestine, Ohio train derailment | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Location of the derailment | |
| Details | |
| Date | February 3, 2023 8:55 p.m. EST (UTC−5) |
| Location | East Palestine, Ohio |
| Coordinates | 40°50′10″N 80°31′22″W / 40.8360°N 80.5227°W |
| Country | United States |
| Operator | Norfolk Southern |
| Incident type | Derailment |
| Cause | Defective wheel bearing that overheated |
| Statistics | |
| Deaths | 7 (alleged) |
| Injured | 7 from initial derailment, unknown from air pollution |
On February 3, 2023, at 8:55 p.m. EST (UTC−5), a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, United States. The train was carrying hazardous materials when 38 cars derailed.[1] Several railcars burned for more than two days and emergency crews also conducted controlled burns of several railcars,[2] which released hydrogen chloride and phosgene into the air.[1] As a result, residents within a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) radius were evacuated. Agencies from Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia assisted in the emergency response.
Following the derailment, reaction and commentary focused on industry working conditions and safety concerns, including: the lack of modern brake safety regulations,[3] the implementation of precision scheduled railroading (PSR),[4] reduced railway workers per train, and increased train lengths and weight. Critics said train companies had failed to invest in maintenance to prevent accidents, even though they conduct stock buybacks, in which capital that could be used for maintenance and safety measures is instead used by the company to purchase shares of its own stock at market price, thus increasing the market capitalization of the company and increasing the value of shares for all shareholders.
Several unions and consumer organizations expressed concern about private ownership of railways and a "profit-driven approach", which they state puts workers and communities at high risk. The United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) also called for public ownership of the US railway systems.[5]
Major US railroads promised to overhaul safety in the industry as a direct result of the East Palestine disaster. Although derailments rose at the top five freight railroads in 2023, Norfolk Southern was the only railroad among the five to report a decline in accidents in the period.[6] A group of the railroads also promised to enroll in the Federal Railroad Administration's “close-call incident reporting system.” Only NS has joined the system.[7]
In June 2024, the National Transportation Safety Board held a meeting in East Palestine to review its findings on the incident. The board voted unanimously to accept the findings and announced it would issue a report.
By October 2023, Norfolk Southern removed more than 167,000 tons of contaminated soil and more than 39 million US gallons (150,000 m3) of tainted water from the derailment site.[8]
By one year after the incident, Norfolk Southern had committed more than $100 million to East Palestine, including $25 million for a regional safety training center and $25 million in planned improvements to East Palestine's park. The company has also paid $21 million directly to residents.[9]
In January 2025, East Palestine and Norfolk Southern reached a $22 million settlement. The settlement will fund village priorities related to the derailment and acknowledges the $13.5 million Norfolk Southern has already paid for water treatment upgrades and new police and fire equipment. It also reaffirms Norfolk Southern's $25 million commitment to ongoing improvements at East Palestine City Park, separate from this settlement.[10] On February 3, 2025, a lawsuit alleged that at least seven people, including a 1-week-old infant, died as a result of the toxic chemicals leak.[11]
- ^ a b "Ohio catastrophe is 'wake-up call' to dangers of deadly train derailments". The Guardian. February 11, 2023. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ Orsagos, Patrick; Seewer, John (February 6, 2023). "Crews release toxic chemicals from derailed tankers in Ohio". Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
- ^ Sirota, David; Rock, Julia; Burns, Rebecca; Cunningham-Cook, Matthew (February 9, 2023). "Rail Companies Blocked Safety Rules Before Ohio Derailment". The Lever. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
- ^ Johnson, Jake (February 7, 2023). "Rail Workers Blame Fiery Train Crash in Ohio on Wall Street Profit-Seeking". Common Dreams. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
Matthew Jinoo Buck, a senior fellow at the American Economic Liberties Project, explained in The American Prospect last year that 'using PSR, railroad management's job is to drive down the "operating ratio," or operating expenses as a percentage of revenue.'
- ^ Entralgo, Rebekah (February 20, 2023). "Calls Grow for Public Ownership of Rail System Following Ohio Train Derailment". Truthout. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- ^ Eavis, Peter (January 28, 2024). "After East Palestine, Ohio, Train Derailment, Accidents Have Risen". The New York Times. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
- ^ Fung, Esther. "A Train Derailment Scarred One Ohio Town. Little Changed in the Railroad Industry". WSJ.
- ^ Funk, Josh (October 26, 2023). "Soil removal from Ohio train derailment site is nearly done, but cleanup isn't over". AP News. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
WESAwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Funk, Josh (January 28, 2025). "Norfolk Southern and East Palestine announce $22 million settlement after 2023 derailment". AP News. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
- ^ Press, Associated (February 3, 2025). "East Palestine: Lawsuit alleges first deaths from disastrous 2023 train derailment in Ohio". CNN. Retrieved February 3, 2025.