Norfolk Southern train derails in US state of Alabama, 4th in past month

By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, United States (AA) - Another Norfolk Southern train derailed on Thursday, this time in the US state of Alabama. It's the fourth train derailment for the company in the past month.

The derailment of about 30 rail cars happened in Calhoun County, which is about 72 miles (115 kilometers) east of Birmingham. The train was headed from Atlanta, Georgia to Meridian, Mississippi.

"There’s NO report of any danger to the public and NO hazardous materials released," the Quad Cities Fire Department posted on its Facebook page. "Crews will be on scene for an extended amount of time assisting with clean up efforts."

The Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency said there were no injuries and that local emergency crews were working closely with Norfolk Southern.

The derailment happened just hours before the rail company's CEO Alan Shaw testified before the US Senate regarding the hazardous materials train disaster in East Palestine, Ohio on Feb. 3 where 38 cars derailed and massive amounts of toxic chemicals were released, sparking an environmental and public health disaster.

On Feb. 16, a 135-car Norfolk Southern train traveling from Detroit, Michigan to Peru, Indiana, derailed near Romulus, Michigan. No hazardous materials were spilled and the derailment is still under investigation.

And just last weekend, on March 4, yet another Norfolk Southern train derailed in Springfield, Ohio. Officials say the derailment of the 28-car train did not involve toxic materials and no injuries were reported.

Before Thursday's derailment, the National Transportation Safety Board announced this week that it was launching a special investigation into Norfolk Southern, saying it had sent officials to investigate at least five different significant incidents involving the company since 2021.