The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation recently held a Zoom conference with local government leaders from cities and towns nationwide to discuss recently introduced bipartisan rail safety legislation.
The Railway Safety Act of 2023 would improve the inspection of railcars, provide information about transporting hazardous materials, improve the use of hotbox detectors, address the length of trains, and better prepare and equip communities with response plans.
Rail accident rates increased 14 percent over the past decade. Norfolk Southern reported 120 derailments in 2022, totaling about $30 million in damages.
Railroads cut their workforce by 22 percent from 2017 to 2021 and reduced investment in the network by 25 percent.
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), committee chairwoman, detailed five concerns: trains are getting longer and regulations have not caught up; local and state governments must know about hazardous materials in their neighborhoods; hotbox detectors are not in line with industry best practices; railcar inspections must be lengthier; and communities need to be better prepared.
It is anticipated that the bill will advance through the committee.
The conference was hosted by the National League of Cities.
U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and J.D. Vance (R-OH), who introduced the bill, also spoke to the officials.