A Norfolk Southern train somehow crashed head-on into another Norfolk Southern train on the same track in Eastern Pennsylvania on Saturday. Fortunately, there was a third NS train on an adjacent track to break its fall. Two locomotives ended up on a river embankment after the crash, with container cars scattered around the immediate area. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the derailment and stated there are no reported injuries or leaks of hazardous materials.
Norfolk Southern isn’t a stranger to trains leaving the tracks, with an average of over 160 derailments per year. It was an NS train that derailed last year in East Palestine, Ohio and contaminated the area with toxic chemicals. The freight rail company sent a statement on this derailment near Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to KYW-TV:
“Norfolk Southern has responded to a derailment in Lower Saucon Township, PA. There is no threat to the public, no hazardous material concerns from the railcars, and no reports of injuries to our crew members. We appreciate the quick, professional response by local emergency agencies. Our crews and contractors will remain on-scene over the coming days to cleanup, and we appreciate the public’s patience while they work as quickly, thoroughly, and as safely as possible. We are always working to advance safety. We will investigate this incident to understand how it happened and prevent others like it.”
The derailment caused a spill of diesel fuel and polypropylene plastic pellets, according to CNN. The fright rail company claimed that it contained the fuel spill with booms. It’s not yet clear why the collision happened, but there will be plenty of questions centered around a train being sent down a track where a train was already stopped.