WASHINGTON — A Pennsylvania congressman is asking the Federal Railroad Administration and Norfolk Southern for explanations about a series of derailments in the Altoona area this year.
U.S. Rep. John Joyce (R-Altoona) has written FRA Administrator David Fink and the railroad to ask a series of questions about four derailments in Blair County, Pa., since February of this year. The most recent, on Oct. 23 in Altoona, involved at least 11 railcars [see “NS train derails …,” Oct. 23, 2026]. Some cars carried hazardous materials, although no spills occurred.
“As the grandson of two railroad workers, rail safety is part of my heritage, and now it’s part of my responsibility in Congress to get to the bottom of these glaring failures,” Joyce said in a press release. “… This oversight effort is an important step toward holding Norfolk Southern accountable for its lack of response to the increase in derailments and ensuring that Norfolk Southern steps up and meets the highest standards of safety for the community.”
Among the half-dozen questions in the letter to Fink are whether the FRA has investigated the possibility of a common link among the derailments, and if it has determined steps that need to be taken to prevent future incidents.
Joyce’s letter to NS CEO Mark George includes questions about an infrastructure plan to address the derailments; why inspections failed to identify the risks that led to the derailments; and whether specialized evaluations are taking place in the area of Horseshoe Curve.
“Norfolk Southern must do more to prevent these accidents and assure the local community that it can operate safely through Blair County’s rail corridors,” Joyce wrote in the letter to George. “A timely response to these questions is critical to understanding how Norfolk Southern will fulfill that duty.”
The earlier incidents included a 65-car derailment near Horseshoe Curve in February [see “Norfolk Southern train derails …,” Trains.com, Feb. 6, 2026]; a March incident near the curve involving two locomotives and 17 cars [see “NS train derails …,” March 7, 2026], and a 12-car incident at Horseshoe Curve in August captured by a railfan video streaming site [see “Norfolk Southern train derails at Horseshoe Curve,” Aug. 12, 2026]. There were no injuries and no hazardous-material releases in any of the incidents.
Through Sept. 30, Norfolk Southern’s train accident rate declined 31% compared to the same period last year, according to the railroad’s third-quarter earnings presentation. Chief Operating Officer Brian Barr called the performance an “historical best for Norfolk Southern.”
“The key thing here is when you look at our accident rates, they have been consistently declining for three years, and we are really at the envy of the industry levels of of accidents,” George said on the railroad’s earnings call last week. He credited the improvements to the railroad’s investments in technology such as train inspection portals.
— To report news or errors, contact trainsnewswire@firecrown.com.
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