Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Rail Safety Bill Hours After Another Derailment

Lawmakers from Ohio, both Republican and Democrat, introduced a new rail safety bill called the Reducing Accidents in Locomotives (RAIL) Act at a press conference that happened a few hours after a BNSF Railway train carrying ethanol caught fire and derailed in Raymond, Minnesota. Thankfully, there were no injuries reported, and BNSF is investigating the incident.

Rep. Bill Johnson, one of the co-sponsors of the RAIL Act, said that the timing of introducing the bill was all too perfect to ignore. The RAIL Act was introduced after a Norfolk Southern train derailed and spilled toxic chemicals in Ohio last February. Eleven of the cars that derailed contained hazardous chemicals, and about 4,700 residents near the crash site were evacuated.

The RAIL Act tries to address Congress’ concerns regarding rail safety and accountability, according to Johnson, who represents the district that includes East Palestine, where the Ohio derailment occurred. Six Republicans and five Democrats from Ohio’s congressional delegation co-sponsored the legislation.

The RAIL Act would hold rail corporations accountable by charging financial penalties if railroads fail to meet required safety measures. It would also mandate new rail safety measures, including recommendations from the Federal Rail Administration and new rail car restrictions.

The bill would also require rail carriers to have two-person teams to operate their trains and mandate the railroads to alert state emergency response authorities if their trains carry hazardous materials. There will also be an increase in funding to train responders about how to handle hazardous materials.

Ohio, which has one of the largest railroad networks in the US, ranks fourth in the country for “serious train accident accidents and hazardous materials spills.” According to their announcement on March 17, Johnson and co-sponsor Rep. Emilia Sykes reported that 281 train accidents occurred in Ohio from 2019 to November 2022.