The NTSB has announced on Tuesday that it will be opening a special investigation on Norfolk Southern's safety practices and culture.

According to a press release, the investigation is a result of the significant number of accidents from Norfolk Southern including last month's dangerous derailment in East Palestine.

The NTSB has urged Norfolk Southern to take "immediate action" to renew its safety practices with the input of employees and others and implement the necessary changes to improve safety.

The NTSB is citing the East Palestine derailment as well as four other significant incidents from the past four months involving Norfolk Southern that have resulted in serious damage, injury or death.

These incidents include:

- A December 8 incident in Reed, Pennsylvania when a National Salvage and Service Corporation employee assigned to work with a Norfolk Southern team replacing tracks was killed when a spike machine operator reversed direction striking the employee.

- A December 13 incident in Bessemer, Alabama when a trainee conductor for Norfolk Southern was killed and another was injured when the lead locomotive of a Norfolk Southern train struck a steel angle iron protruding from a gondola car on another train on an adjacent track.

- A March 4 incident when a Norfolk Southern train derailed near Springfield, Ohio.

- A March 7 incident when a Norfolk Southern employee was killed during a movement in Cleveland.

In addition, the NTSB will be taking a look at a Norfolk Southern derailment from Sandusky, Ohio that occurred in October of 2022.

The NTSB has expressed concerns that several organizational factors may be involved in these accidents including safety culture, so the Board will conduct an in-depth investigation into Norfolk Southern's safety practices.

In the meantime, the NTSB is urging Norfolk Southern not to wait to improve their practices and instead do so immediately.