A minor coal train derailment in Virginia in early July prompted Norfolk Southern to rethink the way it responds to problems with overheating bearings, but it's not clear why the railroad didn't make similar changes months earlier after an overheating bearing caused the fiery Ohio derailment that prompted nationwide concerns about rail safety.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the Atlanta-based railroad changed its rules a day after the July 6 derailment to take a much more cautious approach when a hot bearing is found. After the derailment, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union was critical of Norfolk Southern's response because dispatchers told the crew to move the train 13 miles to a siding down the track even after the crew confirmed a bearing on one of the railcars was overheating, and that's when it derailed.
