WASHINGTON — Lawmakers, mayors, and union members were among those who gathered on Tuesday, Feb. 3 — the third anniversary of the Palestine, Ohio, derailment and hazardous-materials release — for a press conference pushing for passage of rail safety legislation introduced exactly one year earlier.
U.S. Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Mike Rulli (R-Ohio), and John Garamendi (D-Calif.) — three of the original sponsors of the Rail Safety Act of 2025 — were on hand for the event. Provisions of that bill include train-length limits for trains moving hazardous materials; two-person crew requirements; phasing out of DOT-111 tank cars for flammable liquids; and a requirement for the Department of Transportation to set standards for installation and operation of wayside defect detectors [see “House members introduce new version …,” Trains.com, Feb. 4, 2025].
A version of the bill introduced in 2023 died in committee; the current version, H.R. 928, has not advanced since it was assigned to the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
The event called for Congress to pass the legislation out of committee or incorporate it into the upcoming Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill.
“Some people, especially in DC, seem to have forgotten about the 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment: but I haven’t, and I won’t,” Deluzio said in a press release. “… We have to make rail safer, and that means standing strong against the corporate power that’s working against the rest of us who live or work around the tracks.”
KOVR-TV reports Garamendi said the bill “covers sensible things. It’s not complex, but it is very, very important.”
Others on hand included Reps. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.); mayors Matt Pacifico of Altoona, Pa., and Michael Lombardo of Pittston, Pa.; and union leaders including Greg Regan, president of the Transportation Trades Division of the AFL-CIO; Michael Baldwin, president of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen; and Edward Kelly, general president of the International Association of Firefighters.
Regan said in a press release that his organization has “sounded the alarm about rail safety for years and advocated for stronger federal safety measures. We appreciate our local, state and federal partners for their efforts to make this industry safer for rail workers and communities everywhere. The time for action is now.”
New rail bill also announced
In another action on Tuesday, U.S. Rep Emilia Sykes announced that she will introduce the Rail Safety and Accountability Act, which would codify the Federal Railroad Administration’s Railroad Safety Advisory Committee. The FRA recently began the process of reestablishing that organization, albeit at a smaller size, after it was disbanded last year [see “FRA moves to reestablish …,” Jan. 19, 2026].
“We want to make sure this is codified into law so that this entity remains through administrations,” Sykes said in remarks reported by public broadcaster WOSU, “and we’re not in a situation where there isn’t anyone to turn to for advice and guidance and accountability.”
Full text of the bill is not yet available.
Sykes is also cosponsor of another rail bill, the Reducing Accidents in Locomotives (RAIL) Act. A version introduced in 2023 died in committee; some provisions of the current version, H.R. 971, overlap those of the Railway Safety Act. It also remains in committee.
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While intent is visible in the bill proposals, I question one aspect NOT addressed. True, a LOCAL site coordinator ordered a RR supervisor, off premises. Fire chief feared self serving decisions by a RR representative. I fear that was, in the end, exactly what happened. Let’s get this over with, Blow “EM. Clean up ASAP. IMHO
WHAT WAS OVERLOOKED by ALL concerned there (and not included in these Proposed Bills), …….NO CONTACT was made to the company who manufactured the product that was feared to explode. Well meaning hazmat literature and officials aside, WHY NOT contact the people who have the most intimate knowledge of the feared substance. I could be wrong, but I’ve seen several reports that indicate the tankers would NOT have exploded, if surounding fires were allowed to die out. There was NO need to have them breached.
On a side note: I’m watching the suit/countersuit of the Texas crash with the huge heavy load. Comments made about after crash. Look at the results of “crash safe” locomotive cab. Embarassing to say but had the crew who perished, had they left their operators position, and fled to a protective area, they would have survived.
? Are crews taught this??? Impending crash is quick to happen but not too much to preclude action of protection. As a crew carrier, I transported men who survived a VERY very similar crash. endmrw0206261251
The contents of these rail bills are too practical to pass Congress. Our corrupt politicians only pass foolish and self embellishing laws.
God forbid that we should make the movement to freight traffic safer.
Typical tactics here, introduce sound work practices in the form of a bill and then let it die in a committee.
Where is Thune, Schumer, Johnson and Jeffries on this one? MIA. Think Vance will give this a push as president of the senate? Railroad lobbyists have made their contributions. Not going to happen!