The Railway Safety Act, proposed by Ohio Sens. J.D. Vance (R) and Sherrod Brown (D), aims to prevent another catastrophic derailment by placing stricter requirements on rail cars carrying hazardous materials and mandating more frequent inspections, among other measures long sought by rail workers.
But the American Association of Railroads, which lobbies on behalf of U.S. railroads, is already criticizing the bill, telling The Hill that it “would not prevent a similar accident in the future.”
The derailment occurred after the train’s sensors failed to detect an overheated wheel bearing, according to a preliminary report from federal investigators. The bipartisan bill would require more frequent use of these sensors for trains carrying hazardous materials.
Norfolk Southern, the company whose train derailed in East Palestine, released its own safety plan Monday that pledges to increase the number of hot wheel bearing detectors in use.
Norfolk Southern President and CEO Alan Shaw said the report makes clear that a “comprehensive industry effort” is needed to improve safety, but made no mention of lawmakers’ role.
Railroads have come under scrutiny from lawmakers in recent years amid criticism of sky-high freight rates and record profits. But while the bipartisan rail bill is gaining momentum, top Senate Republicans don’t appear eager to enact a wave of new federal regulations.
“We’ll take a look at what’s being proposed, but an immediate quick response heavy on regulation needs to be thoughtful and targeted,” Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican, told The Hill.
Read the full report here.
