Chairman Troy E. Nehls and Congressman Seth Moulton Introduce Legislation to Enhance Rail Safety

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Congressman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, and Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA-06) introduced the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2024. This legislation incorporates the Railway Safety Act of 2023, introduced by Senators J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and includes four significant safety provisions that increase the safety of our nation's rail network.

"As Chairman of the Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials subcommittee, I am proud to introduce the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2024," said Chairman Nehls. "This bipartisan legislation will help modernize our nation's rail network and invest in crucial programs that will enhance our rail network's safety. I applaud my Republican Senate colleague, Republican Vice-Presidential nominee Senator J.D. Vance for introducing the Railway Safety Act of 2023, which is a core component of this legislation. Thank you to my colleague, Representative Seth Moulton, for working with me on this legislation, and I look forward to working with all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this legislation across the finish line."

"The East Palestine disaster was a national wake-up call: Congress must finally take action to make our freight rail system safer," said Congressman Moulton. "For too long, the Class 1 railroads have prioritized profits over all else. It's time for that to end. This bill is a true bipartisan and bicameral effort, and it has the backing of key unions. Freight rail is the most efficient and safest way to transport goods across our country, and it provides over 160,000 American jobs, but these improvements are overdue. This bill would ensure that this $80 billion industry operates more safely and efficiently for years to come."

This legislation is originally cosponsored by Congressman Derrick Van Orden (R-WI-03), Congressman Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), Congressman Anthony D'Esposito (R-NY-04), Congresswoman Emilia Sykes (D-OH-13), Congressman Michael Rulli (R-OH-06), Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury (D-MN-01), and Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY-17).

"Some of the country's most critical freight rail lines run directly through the Third District, so I am acutely aware of the daily role freight rail plays in the lives of communities near a track," said Congressman Van Orden. "Just last year, we had a train derailment in De Soto, Wisconsin that saw train cars floating down the Mississippi River. My constituents should not live in fear of thematerials being transported on rail becausetherailroads are cutting corners on safety. That is why I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to strengthen safety requirements for all trains carrying hazardous materials and provide essential funding for emergency response and preparedness to empower local and state agencies to respond effectively to any future potential incidents."

"My constituents in Beaver County and our neighbors in Ohio had their lives turned upside-down by last year's toxic train derailment-they want accountability and action, and so do I," said Congressman Deluzio. "That's why I've been pushing in Congress to pass my bill to make freight rail safer, the Railway Safety Act. I'm proud to join my colleagues to introduce the bipartisan Railway Safety Enhancement Act. Building off the Railway Safety Act, this bill offers the momentum we need and, when passed into law, will be a powerful step to make freight rail safer and protect communities like ours."

"I'm proud to join Congressman Troy Nehls & Congressman Seth Moulton in co-sponsoring their bipartisan legislation, the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2024," said Congressman D'Esposito. "This crucial piece of legislation will implement much needed reforms to ensure that tragic disasters like the East Palestine derailment don't happen again. As a friend of organized labor and union workers, I know just how important it is that this industry and these jobs are safe, well-paying, and supported by both parties in both chambers."

"Ohioans from across the political spectrum have consistently called for legislation to prevent train derailments in our communities since the tragic accident in East Palestine last year," said Congresswoman Sykes. "In continuing with my efforts to honor the will of the people and pass commonsense rail safety legislation, I'm glad to partner with Reps. Moulton, Nehls, and DeLuzio on the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act. This bipartisan legislation contains many of the same provisions that were in my RAIL Act, and will similarly improve rail safety, hold negligent rail corporations accountable, and keep our communities safe. This legislation is long overdue, and I hope to see this bill move quickly through the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee."

"I am proud to cosponsor the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2024 with Congressman Nehls," said Congressman Rulli. "This legislation is imperative to ensure that tragedies, like the derailment we saw in East Palestine, never happen again. We must protect our communities from unsafe locomotive practices."

"Catastrophic derailments are impacting communities across the U.S., including an explosive derailment in New Mexico in May that closed critical highways, saw communities evacuated, and put workers' lives directly at risk," saidCongresswoman Stansbury. "It is critical that, as lawmakers, we work quickly to prevent these derailments. That is why I am proud to co-lead this effort which is a crucial step in keeping communities and workers safe."

"Last year's brushfires along the CSX line in Rockland County underscored why railroad safety is so important," said Congressman Lawler. "That's why I subsequently introduced the HOWIE Act, requiring the reporting of rail incidents to the FRA, and it is why I'm proud to co-sponsor the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act, which will help ensure our nation's railways and the communities they traverse are safe."

Cosponsors of this legislation include Congressman Nick LaLota (R-NY-01), Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25), Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV-01), Congressman Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23), Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-12), Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), and Congressman Tim Kennedy (D-NY-26).

"Congress must reassure Americans that we are actively working to prevent another rail disaster in their communities. Last year, I was proud to help introduce the bipartisan Railway Safety Act in response to the tragedy in East Palestine, Ohio," said Congressman LaLota. "Strengthening rail safety regulations is crucial to protecting our communities and rail workers, and to preventing future catastrophes like the one in East Palestine. This legislation is essential for the safety of New Yorkers and everyone living near railways. I am committed to seeing this bill passed and signed into law."

The legislation is supported by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes (BMWE), the Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), the Transportation Communications Union (TCU), the Transport Workers Union (TWU), the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen (BRC), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), SMART-TD, and SMART-MD.

The Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2024 consists of:

C3RS Requirement (Section 118):

• Requires all Class 1 railroads and Amtrak to enroll in the Confidential Close Call Reporting System ("C3RS") for two years.
• This program is run by an independent third party, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and allows railroads and their employees to report close calls, unsafe incidents, and share information industry-wide on best practices without fear of reprisal from management. It also prevents Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) enforcement for events reported.

ASKRAIL (Section 119):

• The ASKRAIL app is a mobile application used by first responders in collaboration with Class 1 railroads. It allows first responders to access accurate data about which hazardous materials a railcar is carrying so they can make informed decisions on how to respond to incidents. First responders must have accurate information about what they expect they will be fighting when reaching a scene.
• Requires the State Department of Transportations' eligible for specific grants to notify first responders in their state about the existence of the app and to certify to the FRA they have completed this requirement. Because derailments often occur in remote and isolated areas, service for the application can be unreliable.
• Creates the ASKRAIL Connectivity Pilot Program and authorizes $25 million per year. The pilot program creates a competitive bidding process to provide service in areas along the national rail network in most need of connectivity.

Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program (Section 120):

• Authorizes an additional $1 billion on top of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) advanced appropriations funding.

• According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) during Congressional Testimony, rail crossings are the most dangerous part of America's rail network, in part because this is where our nation's highway and rail systems meet. Removing as many rail crossings as possible will help reduce deaths and relieve congestion in the rail network.

Telematic for Railcars (Sections 121 & 122):

Telematics Grant Program-Section 121

• Authorizes $100 million annually for the FRA to establish a grant program for railcar manufacturers to install onboard freight railcar telematics systems and gateway devices. The program will prioritize new freight railcars, as this is the easiest installation time and these cars have the longest lifespan, and tank cars carrying hazardous materials.
• The FRA will issue a report on the number of railcars with onboard telematics due to these funds.

Telematic Pilot Program-Section 122

• Authorizes $10 million annually for an FRA pilot program to develop onboard sensors, and look to the future capabilities of these sensors, including real-time visibility, wheel/bearing/hand brake/hatch, and temperature readings.
• Telematics will provide shippers and tank car owners with real-time visibility into the rail network. These devices will also monitor the railcar asset's health and provide valuable data to prevent incidents.

Read the entire bill HERE.

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