U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) are urging Norfolk Southern Railway to immediately work with the city of Binghamton to address concerns raised by a recent independent engineering inspection.
The city commissioned the inspection earlier this year following the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The inspection found that 15 of the city’s 28 railroad bridges are in severe or poor condition. Most of the bridges are owned by Norfolk Southern.
The senators also urge Norfolk Southern to share its bridge inspection reports with Binghamton, and comprehensively respond to the city’s 900-page report.
Companies that own these bridges are regularly required to complete their own inspections, but there can be potential discrepancies between the railroads’ reports and independent reports.
“The findings from the inspection report that the city of Binghamton commissioned are deeply troubling,” Gillibrand said. “The structural and safety concerns raised in the report must be addressed before tragedy strikes.”
Schumer and Gillibrand have asked the Federal Railroad Administration to meet with the city and conduct a federal audit and review of the bridges. A federal audit and review would help the city understand whether or not the bridges pose safety threats to the surrounding community.