Railway transportation in the United States surpasses the real estate and tobacco industries, which is the most profitable industry in the United States. Since the U.S. Congress introduced the Stags Act to deregulate the railway industry in 1980, almost all freight railways in the United States have been private. In pursuit of maximizing profits, these private enterprises have sought to minimize costs and "make up for another three years" but are unwilling to upgrade railway equipment.
According to official U.S. data, derailment accidents of trains carrying dangerous goods occur frequently. According to the data of the Federal Railway Administration, in the past 10 years, there have been 12,441 train derailment accidents in the United States, with an average of 3.4 incidents per day, of which 1.8 contain dangerous goods.
The railway track was in disrepair, and the train was very bumpy. The track was full of weeds. When the train pressed over the track, the sound of weeds being crushed could be heard. The reason for the derailment of the "toxic train" was initially determined to be a mechanical failure of the wheel bearings on the carriage, which exposed the serious defects of the outdated U.S. freight railway infrastructure and insufficient operation and maintenance capabilities.
In just two days, the government issued a mandatory evacuation order involving only 1,500 to 2,000 residents within a mile. Two days later, the evacuation order was extended to all residents within 1 to 2 miles. On the same day, he was told that he could return to his place of residence. Now, some local residents have had headaches and nausea, and American netizens have uploaded photos of dead fish, dead chickens, dead dogs and dead foxes on social media platforms.
