(The following article by Sammy Fretwell was posted on the State website on May 14.)
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Four months after a disastrous train wreck in Graniteville, the federal government’s top transportation official will visit Columbia to announce plans for improving railroad safety.
Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta will release his proposal at 2:30 p.m. Monday at the State House.
U.S. Department of Transportation officials said the national rail safety action plan will examine hazardous materials transport, railroad crossing safety and human error in train operations.
“The rail safety action plan represents the DOT’s new and aggressive … approach in improving safety along America’s railroads,’’ the agency said in a statement.
DOT officials declined to provide further details, but acknowledged the plan was being unveiled in South Carolina because of the Graniteville wreck.
The Jan. 6 train crash was the nation’s worst involving a chemical leak since 1978. Nine people died and hundreds were injured when a tanker car full of chlorine gas leaked.
Some experts have said the crash could have been avoided if the train had been traveling slower and the track had electronic signals to warn of danger ahead.
The Norfolk Southern freight train ran off the main line at Graniteville and smashed into a parked train on a railroad spur. Federal investigators have said a switch was left in the wrong position, causing the train to leave the main line. The big train was traveling an estimated 45 mph through town.
In South Carolina, the wreck has sparked concern about railroad traffic in larger cities, such as Columbia, which receive thousands of shipments of hazardous materials annually.
Norfolk Southern spokesman Robin Chapman said he did not know what Mineta’s plan entails. He said railroads generally operate safely, although there is room for improvement.
“We still think our industry’s rail safety record is excellent, but as things like Graniteville show, no system is perfect,’’ Chapman said. “If there are ways for improvement, we will certainly’’ look at them.
Gov. Mark Sanford and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., agreed America needs to improve railroad safety.
“Sen. Graham and all members of the congressional delegation have been very concerned about rail safety,’’ Graham spokesman Kevin Bishop said.
Graham has co-sponsored legislation in Congress to improve rail safety, but the legislation hasn’t gotten very far. Among other things, Graham wants a review on the safety of highway-railroad crossings; more railroad grade-crossing inspectors; and advanced notice of state homeland security officials about hazardous material shipments. The bill also calls for a study of manual track switches to see which most need repair or replacement.