Norfolk Southern has been blamed for the incident by one U.S. senator

The operator of the train that derailed in Ohio two weeks ago is facing harsh criticism over the incident, with one state senator blaming the company for the disaster.

Senator Sherrod Brown says the incident, which released toxic chemicals into the surrounding environment, was an episode of“the same old story”, and Norfolk Southern “caused it”.

Thousands of workers have been let go from the transport giant in recent years, with Brown alleging the corporation “doesn’t invest in safety rules and regulation”.

As anger grows around the derailment, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is calling on major railroads to improve safety.

In a letter to Norfolk Southern Chief Executive Alan Shaw, Buttigieg says he will be urging Congress to raise the cap on fines against railroads for violating regulations.

Meanwhile, Senator Brown says we’ve seen his all before and believes we’ll see it all again.