The investigations below involve accidents where a train derailment was caused by a mechanical or track defect. Each investigation summary highlights the safety issues examined by the NTSB and includes links to the accident investigation page, the probable cause determination, related reports and documents, and the complete public accident docket.
Norfolk Southern Railway Derailment and Hazardous Materials Release
| Feb. 3, 2023
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A Norfolk Southern Railway mixed freight train carrying hazardous materials continued operating with an overheating bearing until the failed bearing caused an axle separation, derailing the train and leading to the postderailment fire and hazardous materials release. The train operated past several hot bearing detectors designed to alert crews to overheating bearings, but the configuration of the system—the temperature thresholds and distances between detectors—prevented the system from warning the crew before the derailment.
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Investigation Docket
- Illustrated Digest - a companion to the investigation report with a description of the accident and subsequent actions, discusses safety issues and outlines safety recommendations
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A miswired hot bearing detector prevented the wayside defect detection system from alerting a Norfolk Southern Railway crew to a hot bearing on their freight train, which continued in operation until it derailed.
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Derailment of Amtrak Passenger Train 7 on BNSF Railway Track |
Joplin. Missouri
Sept. 25, 2021
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A combination of defective track conditions caused an Amtrak passenger train to derail. A total of 52 people were injured, 3 of them fatally. Better use of onboard defect detection technologies could have identified the defective conditions in time to prevent the derailment.
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