Reported by Zach Williams for Bloomberg Government Transportation
Call for Rail Safety Legislation: Organized labor is demanding action on rail safety legislation three years after a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, and spewed toxic chemicals all over the place.
Railroads face higher fines for mishandling hazardous cargoes under bipartisan legislation (H.R. 928) that will be the subject of a Tuesday press conference with leaders from the AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, and the International Association of Fire Fighters.
Bill sponsor Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) will also attend the event alongside Reps. Mike Rulli (R-Ohio) and John Garamendi (D-Calif.), as well as Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), who represents a Long Island district that is not connected to the national freight rail network.
The measure would also mandate that freight trains have two operators and the Department of Transportation could mandate additional restrictions on train lengths, speeds, and maintenance.
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