Reps. Sykes, Rulli to Reintroduce the Bipartisan RAIL Act to Prevent Future Train Derailment Disasters
Improved Version of RAIL Act would Codify Federal Railroad Administration’s Two-Person Crew Rule into Law
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 4, U.S. Representatives Emilia Strong Sykes (OH-13) and Mike Rulli (OH-06) will reintroduce the Reducing Accidents in Locomotives (RAIL) Act. Rep. Sykes first introduced the RAIL Act in 2023 following the tragic Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which sent toxic chemicals into the area's air, soil and creeks. The RAIL Act will implement effective measures to keep our communities safe, hold railroad corporations accountable, and ensure that no American living close to our nation’s 140,000 miles of railroad track has to worry about the threat of a toxic derailment in their backyard. Reps. Sykes and Rulli improved upon the earlier version of the RAIL Act by adding a provision to codify the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) final rule requiring a minimum of two-person crews for all Class I freight and passenger trains.
“Public safety is a nonpartisan issue that transcends political and district boundaries, which is why I am proud to reintroduce this improved common-sense legislation to prevent future train derailment disasters like we have seen in East Palestine and across the United States,” said Rep. Emilia Sykes. “Two full years have passed since this tragic and preventable disaster uprooted the lives of the people of East Palestine and neighboring communities, and Congress has not passed legislation to prevent this from happening again in the future. The people of East Palestine deserve better, and I hope the majority does right by the people of this country and prioritizes rail safety.”
“I am honored to once again stand with Rep. Sykes to reintroduce the RAIL Act," said Rep. Mike Rulli. "As the congressman for East Palestine, I witnessed firsthand the devastation caused by the Norfolk Southern derailment and the toll it took on our community. We are taking vital steps to protect the people of East Palestine and all those living near our nation’s railways. This legislation is about more than just policy—it’s about ensuring the safety of American families, preventing future tragedies, and the well-being of our communities."
The RAIL Act has garnered support from the National League of Cities (NLC) and the Transportation Communications Union (TCU).
“More than 4,000 trains have derailed since 2020, and two years have passed since the devastating train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio," said National League of Cities President Steve Patterson, Mayor of Athens, Ohio. "We urge Congress to turn rail safety measures into law and protect more than 12,000 cities, towns and villages with rail tracks running through their backyards, main streets and next to their schools and businesses. I stand with local leaders across the country asking Congress to act before the next rail tragedy strikes their community.”
“On behalf of the Transportation Communications Union, I want to thank Rep. Sykes for introducing this critical piece of rail safety legislation,” said TCU National Legislative Director, Dave Arouca. “Our members who perform railcar inspections are responsible for keeping communities across the country safe and supply chains moving. However, after years of railroads being allowed to self-regulate, our members aren’t given the time to adequately inspect railcars. This bill fixes that along with a number of other crucial safety fixes that will significantly reduce derailments across the country.”
The passage of the RAIL Act would codify the FRA’s two-person crew rule into law. Requiring a minimum of two-person crews for all Class I freight and passenger trains enhances safety in the rail industry by generally requiring and emphasizing the importance and necessity of a second crewmember on all trains. A second crewmember performs important safety functions that could be lost when reducing crew size to a single person. Without the two-person crew rule, railroads could initiate single-crew operations without performing a rigorous risk assessment, mitigating known risks, or even notifying FRA. The provision closes this loophole by establishing minimum standards and a federal oversight process.
The RAIL Act would further improve railway safety and operations by:
- Directing the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate new rules to improve safety based off the findings of the NTSB investigation in conjunction with the Federal Railroad Administration
- Increasing inspections on all trains, including those carrying hazardous materials
- Requiring railroad corporations to provide notification in advance to pertinent to State emergency response commissioners, tribal emergency response commission, or any other State or tribal agency regarding the transportation of hazardous materials
- Strengthening requirements pertaining to safety placards that would have assisted emergency responders in identifying the hazardous materials in the rail cars on-site
- Strengthening regulations to prevent wheel bearing failures, which caused the East Palestine train derailment
- Increasing maximum penalties for violations of rail safety regulations
- Increasing funding for Hazardous Materials Training for First Responders
- Auditing federal rail inspection programs.
Ohio, which has one of the country’s largest railroad networks, ranks third worst in the nation for serious train accidents and hazardous materials spills. From 2019 through November 2022, 281 train accidents occurred in Ohio.