US Senators Push Rail Safety Bill After Toxic Ohio Derailment

The bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2026 was unveiled this week by Senator John Fetterman and a group of Democratic and Republican colleagues. emergency.

"It's been three years since the toxic train derailment in East Palestine--a complete tragedy and something we could have prevented. Congress still hasn't done anything about it," Fetterman said, adding the bill will hold railroads accountable and make the communities safer.

It has been over three years since the Norfolk Southern derailment disaster in East Palestine, Ohio, and it is past time for Congress to act, said Senator Maria Cantwell.

The Railway Safety Act will require railroads to deploy technology that could have prevented the East Palestine derailment, hold large railroad companies accountable through stiffer fines, and ensure that trains carrying hazardous materials are held to a higher safety standard, she said.

The bill would mandate the use of defect-detection technology, including hotbox detectors placed on average every 15 miles, rather than the current 25 miles.

It would expand the definition of high-hazard trains to include flammable gases, explosives, and radioactive materials, and cap train speeds at 50 miles per hour, with lower limits in high-threat urban areas.

It would also prohibit railroads from limiting the time required for inspections and require periodic freight car inspections at least once every five years. Civil penalties for violations would rise sharply, with maximum fines reaching up to $5 million in cases involving death or serious injury.

The legislation mandates two-person crews on Class I freight trains, accelerates the phase-out of older DOT-111 tank cars to 2027, and expands grants so fire departments can purchase protective gear.

Greg Regan of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, said, "It's unacceptable that communities across the country have endured more than 3,100 derailments since the 2023 toxic Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio."

He added that "Rail workers and communities living near railroad tracks deserve the peace of mind that Congress will take action on commonsense reforms and move us towards a safer rail network."

East Palestine resident Misti Allison said, "Communities like mine know firsthand that rail safety is not a political issue. It is a public safety, environmental, and public health issue."

The bill also creates an emergency response assistance programme to provide up to $10 million in rapid aid to communities responding to a "significant hazardous materials transportation incident".

For India, where the railways carry millions daily, and transport chemicals and petroleum products across densely populated regions, the US debate underscores a shared challenge: balancing freight efficiency with passenger safety and oversight of hazardous cargo.

- IANS