Train crew tried to stop before derailment in Ohio

A wheel bearing on the train that derailed Feb. 3 near the Pennsylvania border was heating up as it went through Ohio, according to a report released Thursday by the National Transportation Safety Board. The bearing tripped two sensors on the rail tracks in Ohio, but the crew was not alerted until after the train passed over a third sensor where the wheel bearing was 253 degrees above ambient temperature. As the crew slowed the train, they saw fire and smoke and reported a possible derailment.

What will this report do? While it is a preliminary report, the factual findings will help with future policymaking, said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who visited the site on Thursday. He has been criticized for not commenting on the derailment, but the secretary said he was trying to let the safety board lead early on the ground. Crews are now working to mitigate the effects of chemicals released in a controlled burn after the crash.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s report in The Sift on Ohio residents filing lawsuits against Norfolk Southern for the train derailment.