The National Transportation Safety Board will soon launch a special investigation into Norfolk Southern, the railway company that has been involved in a rash of recent major incidents — including the 50-car train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio on Feb. 3, an accident that eventually resulted in a toxic chemical spill and a "controlled release" explosion.
"The NTSB is concerned that several organizational factors may be involved in the accidents, including safety culture," the agency's statement read Tuesday. "The NTSB will conduct an in-depth investigation into the safety practices and culture of the company. At the same time, the company should not wait to improve safety, and the NTSB urges it to do so immediately."
Regarding last month's train derailment in East Palestine, the train was carrying volatile chemicals, such as the carcinogen vinyl chloride.
Last Saturday, roughly 20 cars of a Norfolk Southern cargo train derailed near Springfield, Ohio.
And on Tuesday, a Norfolk Southern conductor was killed in a separate incident that also took place in Ohio.
Norfolk Southern President and CEO Alan Shaw followed up the NTSB press release with his own Tuesday statement.
"We will, of course, cooperate fully with the National Transportation Safety Board," Shaw said. "I called together every member of our management team this afternoon to emphasize the urgency of finding new solutions. Tomorrow, we will hold safety stand-down briefings reaching every employee across our network."
During his Monday interview on Newsmax, Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, expressed disappointment over the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Emergency Management Agency's lagging responses to the recent crush of train derailments or accidents.
"Look, we're frustrated," Davidson told "The Record With Greta Van Susteren."
"And frankly, my constituents are asking the same kinds of questions. You know, they're suspecting, 'Is this sabotage?'
"And so I think it's important that our intel community and our law enforcement community speak out and address those concerns," Davidson added.
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