May 4, 2023 | Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Freight Waves opinion column by Loren A. Smith Jr., May 4, 2023) As the Senate Committee on Commerce takes the next steps on rail safety legislation, there is reason for optimism. Railroads move an astounding amount of freight in the United States, roughly...
April 28, 2023 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety, Train Length
(Source: UpNorthLive, April 27, 2023) Michigan State Senator Erika Geiss, D-Taylor, has sponsored two bills that would require shorter train lengths and mandate a minimum two-person crew on trains in an effort to improve rail safety and avert potential disasters like...
April 20, 2023 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: www.mlive.com, April 17, 2023) Michigan Senate Democrats are working to put more regulations in place for the state’s roughly 3,600 miles of railways as a way to increase public safety after numerous reports of blocked traffic and train derailments. Michigan...
April 13, 2023 | East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Legislation, PSR, Railroad Safety
(Source: Open Secrets, March 2, 2023) The influence of rail companies on policymaking was thrust into the spotlight after a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3 while carrying toxic chemicals that could pose long-term health risks to...
April 10, 2023 | 2-man Crews, East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Buffalo News, April 8, 2023) New bipartisan legislation aimed at improving rail safety is on track to pass in the U.S. Senate, Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer said during a news conference Friday as he stood along the Norfolk Southern rail line in Attica....
April 10, 2023 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Legislation, PSR, Railroad Safety
(Source: Freight Waves, April 6, 2023) Two popular issues among rail unions — train lengths and train crew sizes — have gained traction in state legislatures, with a bill in the Nevada legislature limiting train lengths and a provision requiring train crew sizes of at...
April 6, 2023 | Headlines, Legislation, PSR, Railroad Safety
(Source: Nevada Independent, April 5, 2023) Sponsored by the Assembly Committee on Growth and Infrastructure, AB456 would look to cut down on the size of trains that can often reach or exceed 3 miles long and weigh more than 60 million pounds — “monster trains” that...
April 5, 2023 | 2-man Crews, East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Freight Waves, April 4, 2023) Lawmakers from Pennsylvania and Ohio have introduced another rail safety bill in Congress that addresses rail car inspections and maintenance and calls for the Federal Railroad Administration to examine the causes of and...
April 5, 2023 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Progressive Farmer, April 3, 2023) The Rail Safety Act of 2023 was introduced in the Senate on March 1, 2023. Since that date, there was a hearing to discuss the act, but, so far, it has not moved forward in the Senate. According to The Hill, the Senate...
March 31, 2023 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Associated Press, March 29, 2023) Rail safety measures proposed after the February train derailment and toxic chemical burn in East Palestine are closer to becoming law in Ohio, as part of a nearly $13.5 billion transportation budget that cleared the...
