Local leaders, NLC gather on Capital Hill to advocate for railway safety legislation

Following approval last week of the bipartisan Railway Safety Act by the Senate Commerce Committee—with an added amendment commissioning the National Academy of Sciences to study frequently blocked railway crossings—local leaders continued their push for its full Congressional approval Wednesday at an advocacy briefing on Capitol Hill hosted by the National League of Cities (NLC).

“We are at a new crossroad here in America, as to the role of railways in our country,” said William Harris, commissioner of Fuquay Varina, N.C. He was speaking with a group of state and local officials on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building. Harris recalled counting train cars when he was a child, dreaming that “one day, they would take us beyond where we were. … When I grew up, the railroad track was less than a football field from my house. And when I went to visit my cousin, it was less than that.”

Now as a commissioner, Harris said, “It’s sad to say that fascination has gone away.”

\In Fuquay Varina, there are a number of railways “located close to town schools, where students walk in the afternoons. Our concern, today, is the safety of what’s been an institution in communities across the country,” he continued, highlighting a need for railway companies to ensure better grading, improved communication and to “make sure the signals are clear.”

Throughout the briefing, local leaders highlighted the “crossroads” that Harris noted. Railroads played an important role in building cities and counties across the nation. Recent headline-making derailments have brought the need for better safety laws into the public spotlight.

“Utah has a rich rail history, and we recognize the benefits of rail transportation,” said Deborah VanMatre, mayor of Gibbon, Neb. “Our residents are threatened just as all of those are across the country.”

The railway safety legislation, penned in the wake of the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio earlier this year, outlines a number of requirements and adds protections for first responders, including a provision that would close a funding gap between the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and the Hazardous Materials Superfund that currently hinders states and fire departments from receiving quick reimbursement following a hazmat transportation incident. Technically, the bill would give the Department of Transportation authority to declare a “significant hazardous materials transportation incident” and make available $10 million for first responder overtime, equipment costs, and health assessments. Both Senate and House approval would be required for its promulgation.

“No one should lose sleep at night worrying that railroads are cutting corners on safety and putting their communities at risk for disasters like the one in East Palestine,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce and author of the legislation in a previous statement about the initiative. The legislation “mandates the use of technology that can identify equipment failures, prevents 30 second railcar inspections and ensures trains carrying explosive material like the East Palestine train comply with stronger safety regulations. The bill also supports emergency preparedness by providing funding to local first responders to purchase equipment and requires railroads to tell states what materials trains are carrying through their communities.”

The legislation has so far received overwhelming support from local leaders, including a letter from NLC signed by administrators representing 500 American cities, towns and villages urging Congress to act on rail safety. The legislation directly impacts local governments, as around 140,000 miles of track cross directly through communities. A statement from NLC advocating for the bill notes that more than 1,000 trains derailed last year in multiple states.

The local administrators speaking for railway safety Wednesday noted a need for legislation that addresses crossings being blocked by long trains.

“Blocked rail crossings are more than a nuisance; they pose a safety risk and endanger the lives of people waiting for emergency services or create delays for parents trying to get to work or drive their children to school,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner at a similar press event with local administrators held earlier this month in Texas. “Houstonians deserve to know that we put their safety first, and that’s why we have instituted the Smart Pilot for our emergency response. However, we cannot do this alone. I urge Congress to pass a practical rail safety bill. Communities and residents nationwide deserve an immediate fix to a problem that is happening in too many neighborhoods.”

In the last year, the Federal Railroad Administration’s blocked crossing portal identified more than 26,500 blocked crossing incidents, according to NLC. Of these, nearly one in five prevented an emergency vehicle from crossing or required a pedestrian to climb over or under a train. And in Houston, firefighters at Fire Station 18 are equipped with portable tablets that display areas that are blocked so they can re-route to emergency calls. While helpful, NLC notes the pilot workaround shifts the cost-burden of a national problem to Houston’s local government.