{"id":95952,"date":"2023-03-19T13:16:45","date_gmt":"2023-03-19T17:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=95952"},"modified":"2023-03-20T15:44:11","modified_gmt":"2023-03-20T19:44:11","slug":"what-causes-a-train-to-derail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-causes-a-train-to-derail\/","title":{"rendered":"What Causes a Train to Derail? A Close Look at the Ohio Disaster"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What causes a train to derail? How common are train derailments in the U.S.?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On February 3, a 150-car, Norfolk Southern freight train carrying vinyl chloride derailed in Ohio, sparking a massive fire and sending toxic gasses into the air. For years, rail unions have sounded the alarm that freight rail companies\u2019 \u201cspeed over safety\u201d mentality and drastic workforce cuts would lead to disaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn more about what causes a train to derail, including why derailments are happening more often in the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s Behind Recent Train Derailments?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On February 3, a 150-car, Norfolk Southern freight train carrying vinyl chloride\u2014a hazardous, flammable chemical\u2014derailed in Ohio, sparking a massive, days-long fire and sending toxic gasses into the air. So, what causes a train to derail? How has lax government regulation of big rail companies contributed to the problem? What does the future hold for rail workers\u2019 and Americans\u2019 safety? We\u2019ll explore these questions in this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ohio Train Derailment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Ohio train derailment<\/a> earlier this year left some 5,000 East Palestine residents and countless more metropolitan area residents within 40 miles, under air and water contamination alerts. According to federal officials, this train was not regulated as a \u201chigh-hazard flammable train.\u201d <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how common are train derailments in the U.S.? More than a dozen trains have derailed in the U.S. since January<\/a>. Rail unions claim that derailments and accidents are on the rise<\/a>, and experts say that weak government regulations have turned trains into hazardous materials-carrying death-delivery machines<\/a>\u2014endangering rail workers and communities across the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Causes a Train to Derail?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Rail unions say the East Palestine crash isn\u2019t a one-off, but the canary in the coal mine<\/a>. For years they\u2019ve sounded the alarm that freight rail companies\u2019 profit-focused, \u201cspeed over safety\u201d mentality and drastic workforce cuts<\/a> would result in exactly this kind of disaster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, what exactly can cause a train to derail? They argue that Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR)\u2014an efficiency model implemented by big rail carriers to streamline rail operations<\/a> that centers on having fewer, longer trains<\/a>\u2014has cut train and rail maintenance staff to the bone<\/a>, increasing the potential for catastrophic train derailments<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They argue that staffing cuts are enough to cause a train to derail or other rail safety issues. The rail workers warn that these poor work conditions if left unaddressed, could lead to even greater tragedies than what we’ve seen in Ohio:<\/p>\n\n\n\n