The derailment of a CSX train on Norfolk Southern tracks in Whitemarsh Township last week is another lesson on the importance of rail safety, writes Justin Heinze for Patch.

Officials said the incident could have been much worse but reiterated the need for legislation to improve rail safety.

Fifteen cars had derailed from the 40-car train. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Five of the 15 cars contained urea, a liquid fertilizer, and another car contained tetrachloroethylene, a chemical used in dry cleaning.

Urea is only considered toxic when it is exposed to severe heat. Over the long-term, exposure to tetrachloroethylene can cause cancer, according to health experts.

Luckily though the only freight that leaked during the derailment was silicon pellets, which officials said were “harmless.”

Government leaders say that major freight lines need to be held accountable. The federal Railway Safety Act proposed by U.S. Senator John Fetterman to do just that.

It is the same message authorities gave after the East Palestine train derailment that caused environmental and health concerns for residents in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio.

“This derailment in PA is just the latest sign that something HAS to change,” Fetterman said in a statement. “Whether it’s Norfolk Southern, CSX, or the other big rail companies: putting profits over public safety must end.”

The new legislation would enforce strict safety standards including increasing crew size and decreasing the length of trains.

Read more about train safety at Patch.

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