Norfolk Southern train derails in Alabama as CEO testifies in Congress

A Norfolk Southern Railway train derailed in northeast Alabama on Thursday as the company’s CEO testified in front of Congress amid a string of high-profile incidents involving the rail giant.

The company said in a statement to The Hill that around 30 empty cars derailed as the train traveled from Atlanta to Mississippi.

“Norfolk Southern is responding to a derailment in Piedmont, Alabama,” the statement said. “There are no reports of injuries and no reports of a hazardous materials release. We are working in close coordination with local officials.”

Calhoun County Sheriff Matthew Wade confirmed the report that there were no injuries and also said that there was no damage to property, according to local news affiliate WBRC.

The derailment came as Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw testified in front of the Senate on Thursday, after the company has faced intense scrutiny for a derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, earlier this year that sparked an environmental and public health disaster. 

The National Transportation Safety Board said this week that it was launching a special investigation into the company, noting that it had sent officials to investigate at least five different significant incidents involving the company since 2021.

An accident involving another Norfolk Southern train earlier this week left one employee dead, although the company said the cause of the accident was still undetermined.

The news of yet another derailment involving the company comes as the Biden administration and Norfolk Southern leadership continue to deal with the fallout of the incident in East Palestine.

Meanwhile, a rockslide in West Virginia on Wednesday derailed a CSX Transportation train, injuring three and causing diesel oil to spill into a nearby river.