Roundup of DOT efforts to keep communities safe and hold the rail industry accountable
(Source: U.S. Department of Transportation press release, June 21, 2023)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, USDOT has taken steps to improve rail safety and called on Congress to pass the Railway Safety Act — working to protect communities of all sizes across the country.
Most recently, U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would require railroads to maintain — and update in real-time — accurate, electronic, information about rail hazmat shipments that would be accessible to first responders. Railroads would also be required to proactively notify first responders as soon as the railroad is aware of an incident involving hazardous materials.
In February, Secretary Buttigieg directed USDOT’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to focus track inspections on High-Hazardous train routes. After starting the work in East Palestine, FRA announced this week that to date, it has helped execute nearly 4,000 inspections across the country.
Beyond safety regulation and inspections, USDOT is directly funding improvements in railway safety with funds from President Biden’s Infrastructure Law. This month alone FRA announced over $570 million in Railroad Crossing Elimination grants to eliminate or improve over 400 at-grade crossings around the country, making our roads and our railways safer.
As the USDOT continues to prioritize rail safety, the Department will have multiple representatives present at the NTSB’s field hearings in East Palestine this week including representatives from FRA and PHMSA. Both agencies have been assisting the independent NTSB investigation and providing technical expertise since the first hours of the derailment in East Palestine.
More information and a list of USDOT’s ongoing work to protect the American public and improve rail safety can be found at the link below.
Full story: U.S. Department of Transportation