Senators Introduce New Legislation to Strengthen Rail Safety and Prevent Future Disasters

Senators Introduce New Legislation to Improve Rail Safety

On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of senators introduced the Railway Safety Act of 2023, a bill that would create more stringent safety requirements for trains carrying hazardous materials and increase the frequency of rail car inspections. The bill would also require two-person crews to work aboard every train carrying hazardous materials and levy heightened fines for rail carriers’ wrongdoing.

The legislation was introduced in response to a derailment last month in East Palestine, Ohio, in which a Norfolk Southern train carrying vinyl chloride led to a spill of toxic chemicals. The incident contaminated the air and water in the area and prompted the senators to take action.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who partnered with Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) on the bill, said in a press release that the legislation “has a real opportunity to ensure that what happened in East Palestine will never happen again.”

The Railway Safety Act of 2023 would require rail carriers to adhere to more stringent safety requirements and increase the frequency of rail car inspections. It would also require two-person crews to work aboard every train carrying hazardous materials and levy heightened fines for rail carriers’ wrongdoing.

The bill has been met with support from both sides of the aisle, with Sen. Portman saying in a statement that “this bipartisan bill will help ensure that railroads are held to the highest safety standards and that the public is protected from future disasters.”

The bill is expected to be voted on in the coming weeks, and if passed, will go into effect immediately.