NTSB investigating after Norfolk Southern worker killed

Investigators say train struck engineer on Wednesday

A Norfolk Southern employee died on the job Wednesday in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

An investigation is underway after a Norfolk Southern train engineer died this week after being hit by a train in Decatur, Alabama.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the incident happened just after 5 p.m. Wednesday. 

The victim has been identified as Chris Wilson, 55, of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He was a 30-year employee of Norfolk Southern, according to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.

The cause of the incident is under investigation; the NTSB has sent investigators to the scene. 

“This tragic loss underscores the safety risks present in railroading, even in the controlled environment of a railyard,” Eddie Hall, BLET’s national president, said in a statement. “This week marks one year since Norfolk Southern’s derailment and chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio. I hope as we reflect on that disaster and on the need to continually improve rail safety that we also pause to remember Brother Wilson and the family he leaves behind.”

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