How did PSR allegedly lead to increased train derailments?

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Precision Scheduled Railroading Allegedly Increased Derailment Risk

Norfolk Southern Corporation's implementation of Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR), a strategy focused on efficiency through longer, heavier trains operated by fewer personnel, is alleged to have directly contributed to an increase in train derailments and a heightened risk of future incidents. This operational model is described as fostering a culture of increased risk-taking, where the pursuit of near-term profits overshadowed essential safety precautions. Consequently, the company's rail services, under the PSR framework, became more susceptible to accidents with potentially severe human, financial, legal, and environmental repercussions.
Operational Changes and Risk of Derailment

The core tenets of PSR, as adopted by Norfolk Southern, involved operating trains that were longer and heavier while simultaneously reducing the number of personnel assigned to them. This approach, while aimed at boosting efficiency, is claimed to have directly led to a documented increase in train derailments. Furthermore, the strategy allegedly created a materially increased risk of future derailments by prioritizing operational speed and cost reduction over the necessary safety margins.
Culture of Risk-Taking and Profit Focus

The adoption of PSR is characterized as being part of a broader corporate culture that embraced increased risk-taking. This culture allegedly prioritized the company's sole focus on short-term profits at the expense of implementing reasonable safety precautions. The financial incentives tied to reducing operating expenses under PSR were allegedly met by minimizing personnel, extending train lengths, and decreasing investment in crucial areas like safety training, advanced technology such as hot bearing wayside detectors and acoustic sensors, and essential safety equipment.
Reduced Investment in Safety and Infrastructure

Norfolk Southern's capital spending and replacement programs are also under scrutiny, with allegations that they were designed to prioritize profit generation over the company's fundamental responsibility to provide safe, efficient, and reliable rail transportation services. This alleged underinvestment in safety infrastructure and technology, coupled with the operational changes mandated by PSR, is cited as a significant factor making the company's rail services more vulnerable to accidents. These accidents, in turn, carried the potential for substantial economic and bodily harm to the company, its workforce, customers, third parties, and the environment.

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How did PSR allegedly lead to increased train derailments?

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