Train crew got critical warning on overheated axle just moments before Ohio derailment, NTSB report

Operators of the the train that derailed earlier this month in Ohio – sparking public concerns about an environmental catastrophe – received a critical warning about an overheat axle that appears to have contributed to the accident just moments before the derailment, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday. 

The derailment occurred Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio, and smoldered for days with toxic chemicals onboard. Officials several days after the accident syphoned off and ignited some of spilled chemicals to avoid a potential, looming explosion.

Residents and others say the wreck and the emergency explosion has resulted in potentially dangerous chemical in their air, water and soil.

The train, which consisted of 149 railcars and 3 locomotives, passed by three mileposts with a hotter-than-average axle, but it was not until the final marker read the axle was at 253°F above ambient temperature that the crew received the alert to stop and inspect the train, accorading to the NTSB report.

At the time of the derailment, the train was traveling at about 47 mph, slightly below the maximum speed of 50 mph.

When the train finally stopped, "the crew observed fire and smoke and notified the Cleveland East dispatcher of a possible derailment," the report states.

The investigation is ongoing and future reports will focus on the physical designs of the train and review the accident response, railcar procedures and the practices of the train owner Norfolk Southern, the federal agency said.

The report comes the same day that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is visiting East Palestine.