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Myriad short- and long-term factors can be responsible for train derailments, and it is safe to conclude that there likely never will come a time when the possibility for such an occurrence will be reduced to zero.
However, there never should be letup in trying to achieve such an outcome, despite the odds against total success.
Amid that must be acknowledgment that railroading has produced remarkable safety numbers, considering the millions of miles traversed annually by those monstrosities on wheels, controlled by what only can be judged as skeleton crews, both on the trains and in support roles before, during and after each trip.
Nevertheless, the infrequency of accidents does not -- and should not -- negate the need for close examination and scrutiny each time such an incident occurs. That examination-and-scrutiny function is a potential learning experience for helping to avoid similar episodes, going forward.
The intense investigation into the cause or causes of the fiery Norfolk Southern derailment near East Palestine, Ohio, in February, just across the border from Pennsylvania, is an example of the kind of challenging probe that awaits, every time an accident takes place, whether or not human fatalities are involved.
An article in the Mirror's April 8-9 edition reported that the East Palestine accident probe remains in its early stages, trying to confirm whether an overheated bearing was the sole cause of that accident, or whether there was another major contributing factor, one possibility being how that train was assembled.
Every community through which freight or passenger trains pass, such as Altoona, needs to be interested in what information and conclusions such investigations uncover, especially now in regard to East Palestine.
For Altoona, such information is especially important because hazardous materials and chemicals, such as what were on the Ohio train, probably are "passengers" on trains passing through here virtually daily.
Consider what havoc would be unleashed by a hazardous-chemical derailment involving leaking railcars, occurring on the edge of Altoona's downtown during the middle of a workday. The toll of physical damage and loss of life could be immense.
According to the Mirror article, railroad regulators are pushing the theory that rail companies must initiate beefed-up procedures to ensure that "misplaced" cars are not part of any train.
The article did not suggest whether any rail company might be suspected of being intentionally lax in assembling trains correctly but noted concerns emanating from an increasing frequency of derailments since 2021.
A Federal Railroad Administration advisory said "railroads must prioritize proper train makeup to maintain safety, prevent accidents, and optimize train performance."
The Mirror article stated heavy cars at the back of a train can push and pull against empty cars in the middle of a train as it goes over hills and around corners.
"Those forces have become more of a problem as the industry increasingly relies on longer trains with a wide variety of freight aboard. Another factor complicating the issue is the industry's practice of placing locomotives throughout trains," posing a risk of the locomotives amplifying the forces if they are not used correctly.
The recommendations being offered by government regulators are necessary, despite railroads' safety record over the long term.