Feds point to overheated wheel bearing in report on Ohio train derailment
Environment,Ohio Train Crash,Ohio,Transportation,Norfolk Southern
Federal authorities on Thursday pointed to an overheated wheel bearing on a Norfolk Southern train that derailed and released toxic chemicals earlier this month in Ohio.
The preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board did not offer an exact cause of the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment but outlined several operational concerns.
“Surveillance video from a local residence showed what appeared to be a wheel bearing in the final stage of overheat failure moments before the derailment,” the report said. “The wheel bearing and affected wheelset have been collected as evidence and will be examined by the NTSB.”
Future investigative activity will focus on the wheelset and bearing, tank car design and maintenance procedures, derailment damage, inspection practices and a review of the accident response.
