The Transport Workers Union is backing a new House bill that would impose new regulations on freight rail in response to the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment.
Reps. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) and Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) introduced a bill, The Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2024, that expands on existing rail safety proposals drafted in the last year. The bill establishes a minimum amount of time Car Inspectors will be allowed to inspect each car so workers can realistically, and adequately, assess train components without being rushed.
The new bill also requires at least two crew members on Class I freight trains. That’s a crucial safety measure for TWU members who inspect rail cars because a train will still be manned if a crew member is needed to assist a Car Inspector handling an equipment defect. This is especially important if the issue is related to a defective air brake system. In addition, the legislation includes money to help install systems enabling railcar owners to track their cargo – and receive data – about wheel-bearing temperatures, which were a major issue in the East Palestine derailment.
“The tragic derailment and subsequent environmental disaster in East Palestine were the direct result of lax federal oversight coupled with greedy railroad executives who constantly prioritize short-term profits over safety and hardworking TWU members,” TWU International President John Samuelsen said. “The Railroad Safety Enhancement Act is long overdue, and we look forward to working with Representatives Nehls, Moulton, and others to see it enacted into law as soon as possible.”
“It is crucial to keep up the work on rail safety after the East Palestine derailment,” said TWU Rail Division Director John Feltz. “The TWU will continue work in Washington and elsewhere to help pass these critical bills into law.”
Other features of the bill: more funding to build overpasses or underpasses to eliminate dangerous rail crossings, a requirement for freight railroads to enroll in a confidential close call reporting system, improvements to the system that alerts first responders to the presence of potentially hazardous materials on trains when responding to an incident, and increased penalties for safety violations. The bill has support from Republicans and Democrats on the House Transportation Committee.
The House has yet to officially move forward with any rail safety legislation since the East Palestine derailment. The Senate, led by Ohio Sens. Sherrod Brown and J.D. Vance, successfully passed a rail safety bill out of the Senate Commerce Committee last year but the bill remains a few votes short of passing the full Senate.