CLEVELAND — Two weeks after the derailment in East Palestine, we are learning more about the route the Norfolk Southern freight train took prior to the crash that led to toxic chemicals being spilled or burned off.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the train was going between Madison, Illinois and Conway, Pennsylvania. The train crew went on duty in Toledo and it passed through Cleveland prior to derailing in Columbiana County.
Earlier this week, the NTSB provided an update into its probe of the derailment. While investigators have not issued a final ruling, they continue to point to wheel failure as the likely cause of the crash. According to the NTSB, surveillance video from a nearby home showed one of the cars' wheels overheating prior to the accident, and that wheelset is now undergoing further examination.
Authorities have not said why the train may have continued onward despite the fire. 3News NBC affiliate WPXI in Pittsburgh obtained the TikTok video appearing to show the bearing in flames.
In addition, the NTSB says it has obtained locomotive event recorder data, forward- and inward-facing image recording data and wayside defect detector data. Investigators and engineers plan to review all of the data and sync the different sources to develop a detailed sequence of events.
"NTSB is conducting a safety investigation to determine the probable cause of the derailment and issue any safety recommendations, if necessary, to prevent future derailments," the agency added in its statement. "The NTSB can also issue urgent recommendations at any point during the investigation."
The wreck occurred on Feb. 3, when the 150-car Norfolk Southern freight train came off the tracks and caught fire. Due to the potential for an explosion, officials evacuated everyone within a one-mile radius and conducted a "controlled release" of hazardous chemicals. Although residents were cleared to return home just days following the release, there continue to be health and safety concerns.
Those concerns have led to the spread of misinformation, prompting NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy to put out a series of tweets on Thursday. In particular, she pointed to a false claim that the ECP (electronically controlled pneumatic) brake rule, if implemented, would’ve prevented the derailment.
"The ECP braking rule would’ve applied ONLY to HIGH HAZARD FLAMMABLE TRAINS. The train that derailed in East Palestine was a MIXED FREIGHT TRAIN containing only 3 placarded Class 3 flammable liquids cars," she said. "This means even if the rule had gone into effect, this train wouldn't have had ECP brakes."