East Palestine train derailment: Norfolk Southern CEO to apologise before Senate

More than a month after a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, its CEO will tell the US Congress he is "deeply sorry".

In prepared remarks provided by the company, Alan Shaw will apologise before a Senate committee and outline various commitments to the community.

Clean-up efforts continue in the town of less than 5,000 people.

Two federal agencies are investigating how the fiery crash occurred.

"I am deeply sorry for the impact this derailment has had on the people of East Palestine and surrounding communities, and I am determined to make it right," Mr Shaw will say to members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

"We will clean the site safely, thoroughly, and with urgency. We are making progress every day."

Mr Shaw will lay out various forms of aid, totalling more than $20m (£16.8m), for the town's residents and first responders in the incident.

It includes more than $3m in reimbursements to the local fire department, two separate $1m community funds, and money for cleaning and air monitoring services in the public school system.

The railroad CEO will also highlight safety improvements that Norfolk Southern is making in the aftermath of the crash.

On Monday, the company announced a six-point plan "to immediately enhance the safety of its operations". Four of the six points in its blueprint relate to bearing detectors, sensors that are installed on rail tracks to identify defects in wheel bearings and provide real-time warnings to train crews.

According to a preliminary National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report, the accident was likely caused by a wheel bearing that overheated.

The company has suffered four other significant derailments since December 2021 and NTSB has opened a special investigation into the company's "safety culture".

Hundreds of nearby residents were forced to evacuate after the 3 February accident in East Palestine, which sits close to Ohio's border with Pennsylvania.

Several people have reported headaches, rashes and other illnesses, although federal and state officials have insisted the air and water in the area are safe.

Nearly 45,000 fish and other aquatic animals have died within a five-mile radius of the crash, likely due to contaminated waterways, according to Ohio's department of natural resources,