News and Media

Reported by Joanna Marsh for Freightwaves.

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 rules that are based off of the findings of the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation of the Feb. 3 derailment of a Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) train. The bill also calls for railroad companies to provide advanced notice to state emergency response commissioners of trains carrying hazardous materials.

Reported by Alex Daugherty for Politico Pro.

The majority of House members from Ohio on Friday introduced a bill that aims to improve rail safety in the wake of last month’s derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, including provisions related to notification, first responders, rail inspections and more.

The bill is being led by Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes and Republican Rep. Bill Johnson, whose district includes East Palestine, and has the support of Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), the ranking member on the House Transportation Committee, who on Friday said he looks “forward to advancing this proposal and others designed to protect communities, strengthen rail safety, and hold operators accountable.”

WASHINGTON– Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Representative Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04) today joined union leaders and airport service workers to announce the reintroduction of the Good Jobs for Good Airports Act, legislation to provide airport service workers — a predominantly Black, Brown, and immigrant workforce — with the wage and benefits that they […]

WASHINGTON  — Greg Regan and Shari Semelsberger, President and Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD), released this statement after the Association of American Railroads (AAR) announced new safety measures today: “The rail industry has repeatedly demonstrated that it cannot be trusted to self-regulate on safety. While we appreciate recent efforts to address some safety […]

WASHINGTON  — Greg Regan and Shari Semelsberger, President and Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD), issued this statement after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced it is opening a special investigation into Norfolk Southern Railway’s safety practices and culture: “We welcome the NTSB’s special investigation into Norfolk Southern’s safety practices and culture. […]

A Norfolk Southern worker is dead after being struck by a dump truck Tuesday morning at a railroad crossing at a Cleveland steel plant.

Norfolk Southern says conductor Louis Shuster was killed on the Cleveland-Cliffs Cleveland Works property in Cleveland.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office says Shuster, 46, was from Broadview Heights.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday it is opening a “special investigation” into Norfolk Southern’s safety culture, pointing to five serious incidents involving the railroad — including last month’s derailment and chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio.

“The continued safe operations of Norfolk Southern is vital to the United States,” the board said in a statement. “The NTSB is concerned that several organizational factors may be involved in the accidents, including safety culture.”

WASHINGTON  — Greg Regan and Shari Semelsberger, President and Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD), released this statement about today in response to new regulatory and congressional efforts to reform rail safety: “Rail unions and workers have been sounding the alarm about safety concerns in the freight rail industry for years. “We welcome […]

All seven Class I railroads have signed on to a voluntary program established by the Federal Railroad Administration that enables workers to anonymously share situations in which there might be operational hazards.

Federal officials had renewed their calls for the Class I railroads to take part in the close call reporting system (C3RS) following the Feb. 3 derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio. The Transportation Trade Department of the AFL-CIO had also pressed federal officials to urge the Class I railroads to participate in the program.

WASHINGTON  — Greg Regan and Shari Semelsberger, President and Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD), issued this statement after the Association of American Railroads (AAR) announced that the seven major U.S. freight railroads will join the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)’s Confidential Close Call Reporting System: “We welcome today’s announcement that the seven major […]