Norfolk Southern railway, in collaboration with the state of Ohio and Youngstown State University, is revitalizing plans for a $20 million first responder training facility. This initiative is set near East Palestine, Ohio, where the most severe train derailment in a decade occurred.

Following the derailment on February 3, 2023, which led to the evacuation of about half of the town near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, the need for a dedicated training center for railway disaster preparedness became evident. Residents have since been concerned about potential long-term health consequences.

However, Norfolk Southern mentioned last January that East Palestine officials had, as part of a $22 million settlement, agreed with the railroad that the training center was impractical due to worries over its ongoing operational expenses. The company even offered the town 15 acres of land initially acquired for this project.

Now, Norfolk Southern is joining forces with Youngstown State to establish and manage this training center. The facility aims to equip first responders with the skills needed to handle the complexities of train derailments, particularly those involving hazardous materials. In the East Palestine incident, derailed train cars burned for several days, prompting officials to deliberately release five tank cars of vinyl chloride to prevent potential explosions.

“Through collaboration, we’ve transformed our vision of an economic and educational hub focused on community safety into a sustainable reality,” stated Mark George, CEO of the railroad.

The railroad has committed more than $135 million to help the town recover from the derailment and agreed to pay $600 million in a class-action settlement with residents, though those settlement payments are on hold because of a pending appeal and accounting problems with the first company that was distributing checks.

Local East Palestine first responders will have free access to training at the facility. Mayor Trent Conaway said this will “better prepare them to serve our village and the communities in our region.”