NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy (left) and FRA Administrator Amit Bose testified during the July 23 hearing. T&I Committee images
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A BLET-backed rail safety bill was the focus of a hearing before the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials on July 23. The Railroad Safety Enhancement Act (H.R. 8996) has strong bipartisan support, with both Republican and Democratic legislators expressing an urgency to pass the bill (video).
“We are urging Congress to pass this bill quickly,” BLET Vice President & National Legislative Representative Vince Verna said. “Time is of the essence, with only a few weeks of legislative work on the calendar for the rest of the year. We are asking every member of Congress to listen to railroaders and recognize the need for the common-sense provisions in this bill and co-sponsor this legislation.”
Introduced on July 15 by Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) and Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), H.R. 8996 incorporates the Senate’s Railway Safety Act of 2023 (S. 576), introduced by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and J.D. Vance (R-OH), but includes four additional safety provisions: Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS); AskRail connectivity pilot program; Telematics to modernize the tank car fleet; and more funding for the Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program.
Verna said: “This bill would mandate two-person crew, confidential close call reporting programs that allow rail workers to report dangerous conditions without fear of retaliation, and standards for wayside detector equipment. This bill will make our members safer. This is an important step in addressing safety failures that were demonstrated dramatically on February 3, 2023, in East Palestine, Ohio. Congress has still not weighed in to provide additional safety to rail workers following the catastrophic derailment, and action is desperately needed.”
BLET National President Eddie Hall said: “It’s important to note that the bill calls for mandatory use of C3RS, the confidential reporting system modeled after what’s been successfully used by the commercial airlines. The airlines have used confidential reporting to identify problems and improve safety for decades. Its adoption by the Class I railroads is long overdue. The slow adoption of C3RS along with dozens of safety lapses identified by the NTSB in its recent report on the East Palestine derailment demonstrate that self-regulation by the railroads doesn’t work. Congressional action is desperately needed to keep both railroaders and the communities serviced by rail safe.”
As reported last week, the rail safety bill in the Senate was thrust back into the spotlight following the nomination of Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as the Republican candidate for Vice President of the United States. In an interview with Roll Call, BLET First Vice President Mark Wallace said: “The expectation for Senator Vance now is, given his elevated stature within the party, is to see if he has the ability to move bipartisan legislation. And I think they’re probably eager to show that there’s times they’re willing to work with the other side.”