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For Altoona and other communities in this region through which Norfolk Southern trains traverse, the railroad generally is regarded as being a good community partner.
Blair County Emergency Management Director Mark Taylor voiced that exact description in recent days as cleanup continued in East Palestine, Ohio, from the Feb. 3 NS derailment that produced an environmental mess, plus raising concerns about whether derailment-related adverse health impacts might be in the future for some residents of the small community.
Among the train units that derailed a quarter-mile from the Pennsylvania line were tank cars carrying hazardous, toxic chemicals. The derailment was an eye-opener for all area railroad communities, not just Altoona and its large western neighbor, Johnstown. It will take time for many residents of the communities in question to shed their concern any time a train is passing through.
That concern might be regarded as an overreaction, considering Norfolk Southern's safety record up to now -- not flawless but generally praiseworthy.
However, the East Palestine incident exposed cracks in the solid image that NS had built during its history here, and the railroad, in addition to living up to its responsibilities in the Ohio cleanup, needs to repair the damage it has incurred otherwise since the derailment.
Part of the damage to Norfolk Southern since the derailment has been due to errors in judgment by its top officials. Top officials did not do the railroad any favor by failing to attend a public meeting in mid-February attended by hundreds harboring concerns and fears stemming from the derailment.
Then those top officials compounded that error by being no-shows at a state Senate committee hearing Feb. 27 in Harrisburg.
It was at that Senate hearing that Altoona Mayor Matt Pacifico, in addition to asking questions about maintenance requirements for hazmat tank cars and the safety of what seem to be excessively long trains, accused the company of not sharing important information about problems soon enough when they occur in this region.
Meanwhile, as noted in an article published in the Mirror's Feb. 15 edition, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro criticized the railroad for not immediately notifying Pennsylvania officials about the derailment, despite its close proximity to the commonwealth.
Pacifico also asked what policies govern train crews' responses to trackside sensor alerts and whether there are required notification responsibilities to management that can delay the stopping of trains before potential derailments.
"What happens when a derailment occurs here like we saw in East Palestine?" Pacifico asked. The absence of Norfolk Southern officials at the hearing meant relevant questions remained unanswered.
Between the two information-gathering sessions, Alan Shaw, NS president and CEO, visited East Palestine, saying his company would be "working tirelessly to get East Palestine back on its feet as soon as possible. We know we will be judged by our actions."
Entering 2023, Norfolk seemed to be on a positive roll, but the overheated wheel component that failed on Feb. 3 has spawned a number of financial uncertainties that will require the best skills its management can muster.
Residents of East Palestine and people all along the rail corridor are hoping for -- indeed, demanding -- the best that this community partner can produce.