Reported by Sarah Robles and Kaitlyn McCarthy for WFMJ
Exactly three years after the East Palestine train derailment in February of 2023, members of Congress met in Washington, D.C., to urge leaders to pass the proposed Railway Safety Act & Common Sense Rail Safety Measures legislation.
“Too often, firefighters arrive at train derailments with limited information and limited training, even when those train derailments result in hazardous materials being exposed. First-to crews are expected to make immediate decisions without full situational awareness. The risk of injury and long-term toxic exposure ensues. The Railway Safety Act fixes that,” said Edward Kelly, General President of the International Association of Firefighters, during the conference.
Michael Baldwin, President of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, said railroad companies have been avoiding putting safety measures in place.
“Railroads have never voluntarily allowed for more safety measures, and fight every attempt for uniform standards across the board,” said Baldwin. “For years, rail workers have been sounding the alarm. We warned of longer trains with fewer crew members. We warned of rushed inspections. We warned about outdated breaking systems. We warned about relentless pressure to move faster, haul more and do it all with less.”
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