NTSB report reveals details about train derailment in Calhoun Co.
ANNISTON, Ala. (WBRC) - New details from the National Transportation Safety Board on the March 9 Norfolk Southern Railway Train Derailment out of Calhoun County.
Two locomotives and 29 railcars were involved, according to the NTSB report. A total of three tank cars carrying hazardous materials derailed in the accident, but the cars remained intact and did not release any hazardous materials, according to NTSB.
There were no reported fatalities or injuries.
The preliminary NTSB report says it appears some of the train cars weren’t properly coupled.
The report says, “The waybill locomotives were not equipped with alignment control couplers, which resist lateral coupler movement under compressive in-train forces. NS operating rule L-212 prohibits coupling together locomotives without alignment control couplers when those locomotives will be dead-in-tow.[3] The waybill locomotives were coupled together and picked up from Bluffton, Indiana, on February 24, 2023.[4] An NS inspection performed before the first movement involving the coupled waybill locomotives did not identify the absence of alignment control couplers.”
The report goes on to say this accident did an estimated $2.9 million in damage to the track, signals, and equipment. The NTSB investigation continues.
Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.
Copyright 2023 WBRC. All rights reserved.