Norfolk Southern CEO punts on support for railway reform bill

by Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk - 03/22/23 6:51 PM ET

Energy & Environment

The Big Story

Norfolk Southern CEO declines to back reform bill

The head of the railroad involved in February’s East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment says he supports certain aspects of a bipartisan reform bill but stopped short of saying he supported it.

Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw, testifying before the Senate Commerce Committee, told Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) he backed certain aspects such as funding for first-responder hazardous materials training and expansion of advanced notification.

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), a sponsor of the measure and a member of the committee, also made an opening witness statement, blasting what he called the railroad’s “blurry legalisms” in descriptions of their corrective actions.

“Phrases from their announcement, ‘develop a plan,’ ‘anticipates adding,’ and ‘where practical’ are not enough, not when towns across America are at stake,” Vance said.

Norfolk Southern has faced scrutiny following the Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine. The train’s contents included cars of the hazardous chemical vinyl chloride.

Read the full report on Shaw’s testimony at TheHill.com.

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