On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY) called on the Federal Railroad Administration to investigate the May 18 train derailment in East Aurora, N.Y.
Higgins said he hoped the FRA would thoroughly and expeditiously look into the incident and then provide him with a report so he can properly decide on safety policies and protocols to prevent future incidents.
“Residents who live in proximity to America’s freight railroads have the right to expect an appropriate level of federal oversight to ensure that the requisite capital investments are being made and that safety protocols are being observed,” Higgins wrote in a letter to FRA Administrator Ronald Batory. “Transparency here will be key, as residents have a right to know what went wrong — why a neighborhood was forced to evacuate, and what corrective steps are being taken to prevent an occurrence like this from happening in the future.”
According to reports, 15 cars and three engines on a 98-car train traveling from Salamanca to Buffalo came off the rails on Monday night in downtown East Aurora. No leaks or damage were reported, but residents in 41 houses in a four-block area were asked to evacuate as crews responded, but were allowed to return to their homes the next morning.
The cars that jumped the tracks were carrying propane, police said, causing many to be concerned about the possibility of a “bomb train,” carrying highly flammable material that could explode in similar situations. Other cars, Higgins said in his letter, were carrying petrochemicals.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), echoed Higgins remarks.
“This isn’t the first time a terrifying train derailment has happened in New York, and we need a full-scale investigation ASAP to sort out what happened and what actions should be implemented to prevent it from happening again,” Schumer said. “With better safety measures, accidents like the one last night in East Aurora are preventable, which is why I am calling on the Federal Railroad Administration to conduct a full and thorough investigation into the incident. New Yorkers deserve to sleep in peace and not worry about the possibility of a freight train overturning into their backyard.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, there were 1,283 train derailments in the U.S. in 2019.