Alertness averts potential derailment in Illinois

Safety on the railroad often comes down to decisions made in real time: slowing down, paying attention, and speaking up when something does not seem right.

That mindset was on display recently in Illinois when several Norfolk Southern railway employees worked together to help prevent a potential mainline derailment.

A closer look at the crossing

Steve Bertolis, an electric welder, and Mike Evans, an electric welder helper, are part of Engineering’s Maintenance of Way & Structures (MW&S) team. They were traveling along Illinois Route 48, which runs parallel to the railroad’s mainline, as part of routine track inspection and maintenance work between switch locations.

As they approached the Main Street railroad crossing in Harvel, Ill., they noticed the crossing warning devices were activated, but no train was immediately visible. Knowing a train was only a few miles away, they decided to stop and take a closer look.

“In railroading, you’re trained to stay alert and question what you’re seeing," Bertolis said. "The signals were on, but something didn’t add up."

They found a nearly 10-foot-long broken section of railhead embedded in the asphalt of the at-grade crossing. The damage is suspected to have been caused by a truck pulling a low-clearance trailer across the crossing, which gouged the asphalt and broke the rail.

Recognizing the risk, the employees immediately contacted NS’ Network Operations Center (NOC).

Coordinated response

Dispatcher Bryan Wenneman responded immediately, stopping the approaching train just miles away. While the train was operating at restricted speed and the signal system functioned as intended, the combined actions of the welders and dispatcher added an important layer of protection.

“That responsiveness made all the difference,” Evans said. “Everyone did exactly what they’re trained to do by communicating clearly and working together to keep people safe.”

The coordinated response helped prevent a possible derailment on the mainline and highlights the importance of constant vigilance, communication, and teamwork across railroad operations.

“Steve, Mike, and Bryan took the right actions at the right time,” said David Taylor, NS division engineer. “Their alertness and intentionality with their decisions helped protect our railroaders and the communities around it.”

NS Engineering worked quickly to fix the broken rail and restore the crossing for safe, efficient service the same day. Investigative teams are examining the root cause of the damaged rail to better understand what happened and how similar situations can be prevented in the future.

Brett Willi leads internal communications for Norfolk Southern, focusing on safety, compliance, operational excellence, and employee engagement. He also oversees communications for Engineering and Mechanical. Brett joined NS in 2025, with 20 years of strategic communications, digital content, and analytics expertise.