Rail union says Virginia derailment renews questions about Norfolk Southern’s safety practices

By JOSH FUNK
AP Business Writer

The union that represents locomotive engineers says a coal train derailment in Virginia is renewing questions about Norfolk Southern’s safety practices. Randy Fannon, who leads the union’s safety task force, says the railroad decided to move the train even after a trackside detector spotted an overheating bearing without having a qualified inspector determine if it was safe. The train derailed before it reached the next siding. The railroad didn’t immediately answer questions about the derailment, and federal investigators were just beginning to look into this crash Friday. Fannon said it’s fortunate this derailment involved only coal and not hazardous materials like the ones involved in the fiery Norfolk Southern derailment in Ohio.