April 3, 2023 | Headlines, PSR, Railroad Safety
(Source: ProPublica, April 3, 2023) Driven by the efficiency goals of precision scheduled railroading, companies are forgoing long-held safety precautions, such as assembling trains to distribute weight and risk or taking the proper time to inspect them. Instead,...
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...
March 31, 2023 | Headlines, Railroad Safety
(Source: Freight Waves, March 30, 2023) Environmental advocates are hoping the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Association (PHMSA) will soon release a proposed rulemaking that will become the new regulation governing the movement of liquefied natural gas by...
March 31, 2023 | BNSF, Derailment, East Palestine-NS, Headlines, NS, Railroad Safety
(Source: Associated Press, March 30, 2023) Hundreds of people had to evacuate their Minnesota town after a BNSF train hauling ethanol and corn syrup derailed and caught fire early Thursday, but authorities were hopeful that the quick response and cold weather would...
March 31, 2023 | Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Television station KSTP, March 30, 2023) The railroad industry is pushing back against efforts to make them pay for more inspectors to review rail infrastructure and operations. The DFL proposal, part of a larger transportation-funding package, would increase...
March 31, 2023 | 2-man Crews, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Politico, March 30, 2023) Ohio’s House delegation Thursday signaled that they’re optimistic that they can reach common ground with other Republicans on a bill intended to strengthen rail safety following the Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine —...
March 23, 2023 | 2-man Crews, Congressional Hearing, East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Associated Press, March 22, 2023) A bipartisan consensus that Congress should act to toughen regulations on railroads emerged Wednesday as senators heard fresh testimony on the fiery hazardous train derailment last month on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Full...
March 21, 2023 | 2-man Crews, Derailment, East Palestine-NS, Headlines, NS, Railroad Safety
(Source: Television station WEWS, March 20, 2023) One thing the Railway Safety Act of 2023 does is mandate at least two-person train crews. That’s something the East Palestine train had on Feb. 3; if they didn’t, the BLET’s John Esterly says, the...
March 21, 2023 | EPA, Headlines, Railroad Safety
(Source: Trains Magazine, March 17, 2023) The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a safety bulletin asking railroads to review with employees the dangers of pushing and shoving moves at highway grade crossings. Full story: Trains Magazine
March 21, 2023 | 2-man Crews, East Palestine-NS, Headlines, Legislation, Railroad Safety
(Source: Freight Waves, March 17, 2023) Two congressional representatives from Ohio have introduced their own rail safety bill that excludes a train crew size requirement. The bill, Reducing Accidents in Locomotives Act, or RAIL Act, calls for the promulgation of new...
