NTSB Explains The Ohio Train Derailment

The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report on the investigation that stated one of the train's cars carrying plastic pellets was heated by a hot axle that sparked the initial fire.

The cause of the Norfolk Southern Railway train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, has been explained.

Federal officials released a report that concluded the toxic train wreck was 100% preventable.

An investigation was opened after the crash on February 3rd and resulted in the evacuation of the surrounding areas due to the release of toxic chemicals.

The NTSB released its preliminary report on the investigation that stated one of the train’s cars carrying plastic pellets was heated by a hot axle that sparked the initial fire.

As the temperature rose, the train passed by two wayside defect detectors that did not alert the conductor because the heat threshold was not met at that point. A third detector eventually picked up the high temperature, but it was too late to prevent the incident.

The next phase of the investigation will be to examine the train’s wheel-set and bearing as well as the damage from the derailment, while focusing on the designs of tank and railcars along with maintenance procedures and practices.