Schumer's Office, Norfolk Southern, Elmira Officials and NYSDOT Set to Meet to Discuss Safety & Notification Improvements in Wake of Elmira Derailment

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that Norfolk Southern, NYS Department of Transportation representatives, local officials, and Schumer's office will meet at Elmira City Hall tomorrow morning to discuss the November derailment that left a rail car upside down in an Elmira parking lot. Following the accident, Norfolk Southern failed to notify city officials or local law enforcement about the incident, and those officials first learned of the situation from local residents.

In response, Schumer demanded that the rail company make public a full report of what happened in the crash, clarify its policy regarding notification and, if necessary, make changes so that local officials are informed whenever an incident occurs. Schumer, who is also pushing Norfolk Southern to reduce train speeds running through Elmira, announced that the Elmira Deputy City Manager and a representative from NYSDOT's passenger and safety division will meet with Schumer's office and Norfolk Southern officials to discuss improvements that must be made after this most recent crash.

"This meeting is a good starting point, but we're going to keep Norfolk Southern's feet to the fire throughout this process," said Schumer. "They have completely bungled the response to this derailment and need to make serious and substantial improvements to their notification and safety systems to keep businesses, homes, and Elmira's citizens safe. I hope this will be a productive meeting that will yield real improvements to rail safety, and better response systems in the event of an accident."

Norfolk Southern operates freight-only routes through the Elmira community, home to more than 30,000 New Yorkers. The railroad runs an elevated route through Elmira, and sometimes carries hazardous materials. In 2006, Norfolk Southern announced that it would increase the speed of its trains traveling through Elmira, from 30 miles per hour to 50 miles per hour, in order to remain competitive. At the time city officials expressed concern about the possible risks. Schumer believes that Norfolk Southern should again revisit this decision, and reverse their decision to nearly double the speed at which trains pass through Elmira.

Following the derailment, Schumer told Norfolk Southern that the company needs to immediately update Elmira officials and the public regarding the causes of the crash. The train car was only discovered in a parking lot by a Hillard Company employee. Schumer hopes that the meeting will produce a full accounting of what happened in the crash, and lead to real changes in notification policies so that all relevant parties are kept abreast of problems when they do occur.

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