A new report reveals what many in East Palestine already know: the 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment exposed serious gaps in railroad safety.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is highlighting safety risks that extend far beyond a small Ohio town.

From a lack of oversight to broken communication, East Palestine is now considered a case study in what has gone wrong.

A comprehensive report on Ohio’s infrastructure reflects findings laid out in ASCE’s national report card, exposing how fragile rail safety systems can be.

It states that incidents like 2023’s East Palestine train derailment raise concerns.

“More can be done to make the rail safer as they pass through town,” said Jim Pajk, an ASCE Ohio Infrastructure Report Card Committee member.

One of the key safety concerns is technology, specifically hotbox detectors, which are designed to spot overheating wheel bearings before a failure.

In East Palestine, that failure proved to be devastating.

The report recommends safety technologies on additional wayside monitoring infrastructure to detect defects.  

In many cases, rail companies are responsible for inspecting and maintaining their own tracks, something Pajk said can lead to safety challenges.

“It’s not the responsibility [of] the state or the local, it’s if they’re owned by the rail company themselves," he said, "So that’s where we do have, you know, we have some challenges related to that." 

When the crash happened, first responders didn’t even know what chemicals were on the train.

Engineers are now calling for updated safety laws and better preparedness.

ASCE’s report urges renewed federal legislation addressing railway, hazardous materials, rail car inspections and maintenance and emergency response.

“I think it’s important that there’s protocols in place so that first responders have an easier way of," he said, "knowing exactly what we’re dealing with and how to be best prepared for that."

ASCE gave Ohio’s rail infrastructure a B- grade, a slight drop from last year’s B.

Click here to read the full 2025 Ohio Infrastructure Report.