NORFOLK, Va., July 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Norfolk Southern
Railway Company said it strongly disagrees with the National Transportation
Safety Board's determination of probable cause contained in its Accident
Report released today for the New Brighton, Pa., derailment. The NTSB said
that the Oct. 20, 2006, derailment was caused by an "inadequate rail
inspection and maintenance program."
According to Norfolk Southern, its rail inspection and maintenance
program complies with all applicable regulations, and even the NTSB
concedes that Norfolk Southern tested more frequently than required by
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) regulation.
Norfolk Southern will file a formal petition for reconsideration and
modification that will rely, in part, on newly available inspection data
supplied to the NTSB last month, but not addressed in the Accident Report.
Norfolk Southern's petition will defend the adequacy of its rail inspection
and maintenance program and will seek to correct the record before the NTSB
and any misconceptions on the part of the NTSB about that program and its
consistency with the regulations.
"We take strong exception to any contention that we failed to perform a
continuous search of our rail for internal defects or that our inspection
and maintenance program is inadequate. In fact, many of our procedures
exceed FRA standards," said Tim Drake, NS vice president engineering.
"Norfolk Southern used the best available track inspection technology
and procedures at the time and used an expert rail defect detection
contractor to inspect its rails at a frequency that exceeds FRA
requirements. It is highly unlikely that any changes to NS' technology and
procedures could have uncovered the flaw that caused the derailment," Drake
added.
The New Brighton accident resulted in an ethanol spill and fire on a
nearby river. There were no injuries. The train's crew and mechanical
condition were not factors, and the railroad's emergency response system
was deemed effective and appropriate.
"Norfolk Southern has the lowest track-caused accident rate among all
Class 1 railroads," Drake said. "Any suggestion that we short-cut track
safety goes against the facts and is counter to our policy and practice."
Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation's premier
transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates
approximately 21,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia,
serving every major container port in the eastern United States and
providing superior connections to western rail carriers. Norfolk Southern
operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is North
America's largest rail carrier of metals and automotive products.
SOURCE Norfolk Southern Railway Company
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Related links:
http://www.nscorp.com/
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/626525.html /
CONTACT:
Media, Frank Brown, +1-757-629-2710,
fsbrown@nscorp.com, or Investors, Leanne Marilley,
+1-757-629-2861, leanne.marilley@nscorp.com, both of Norfolk
Southern
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