Nineteen state legislatures take on rail-safety bills

(Source: Progressive Railroading 10/10/2023)

At least 19 states have considered or are considering bills on rail safety this year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Many state legislatures are considering measures aimed at tightening rail-safety laws in response to the Feb. 3 derailment of a Norfolk Southern Railway hazmat train in East Palestine, Ohio.

Lawmakers in the following states have introduced rail-safety measures in 2023: Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah and Washington. Five of those states — Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Utah — have enacted legislation, the NCSL reported yesterday.

The bills have called for provisions such as mandatory train-crew size, limits on train length, required wayside or hot box detectors, the creation of grade separations and the development of comprehensive emergency response plans.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in a 20th state — Colorado — are likely to consider a bill next year that would call for new rail-safety guidelines aimed at reducing the risk of derailments and hazardous-material spills, Colorado Newsline reported.

A bill voted to be one of the Transportation Legislation Review Committee’s five interim bills for Colorado’s next legislative session would regulate train length, safety technology along tracks and how long a train can obstruct a public crossing. The bill would take some measures from one of the proposed Rail Safety Act bills in Congress.