Federal regulators promise safety review at all the major freight railroads

A view of the scene Feb. 24, 2023, as the cleanup continues at the site of of a Norfolk Southern freight train derailment that happened on Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Monday, March 6, 2023 that Norfolk Southern has pledged several million dollars to cover the cost of the response and recovery in Pennsylvania after last month’s derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals just across the border in Ohio. (AP Photo/Matt Freed, file)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Officials say they plan to conduct safety investigations of all the major freight railroads over the next year. That’s after the Federal Railroad Administration recently completed a review of Norfolk Southern’s safety culture. A report will be released soon on what investigators found at Norfolk Southern after the fiery February derailment that prompted the evacuation of half of East Palestine, Ohio. The crash has sparked intense interest in railroad safety nationwide and prompted several proposed reforms in Congress. Railroad unions have been raising concerns that operating changes and deep cuts the railroads have made over the past six years have made trains riskier. But the railroads maintain they haven’t sacrificed safety as they became more efficient.