WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has published its accident investigation report on the Norfolk Southern Railway train derailment that occurred in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3, 2023.
FRA conducted the investigation under its independent statutory authority with U.S. Department of Transportation safety personnel, who were on the ground within hours of the derailment, working to identify the cause of the accident and examining compliance with rail safety regulations.
FRA found that the derailment was caused by a roller bearing that failed due to overheating, consistent with the investigation findings of the National Transportation Safety Board. Norfolk Southern’s procedures and the inadequate staffing for communicating information from the Hot Box Detectors, a type of wayside detector installed along the railroad right of way that monitors the condition of freight and passenger rolling stock, to the train crew may have contributed to the accident.
FRA does not currently regulate the location, installation, operation, or maintenance of wayside detectors, unless a detector interfaces with a railroad’s signaling system. However, FRA plans to aggressively use its existing authorities, and agency officials encourage Congress to also act in any future rail safety legislation.
