WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and JD Vance (R-OH), along with U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Josh Hawley (R-MO) will introduce the bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2023 to prevent future train disasters like the derailment that devastated East Palestine, Ohio. The bill will take a number of key steps to improve rail safety protocols, such as enhancing safety procedures for trains carrying hazardous materials, establishing requirements for wayside defect detectors, creating a permanent requirement for railroads to operate with at least two-person crews, increasing fines for wrongdoing committed by rail carriers, and more.

“It shouldn’t take a massive railroad disaster for elected officials to put partisanship aside and work together for the people we serve – not corporations like Norfolk Southern,” said Senator Brown. “Rail lobbyists have fought for years to protect their profits at the expense of communities like East Palestine and Steubenville and Sandusky. These commonsense bipartisan safety measures will finally hold big railroad companies accountable, make our railroads and the towns along them safer, and prevent future tragedies, so no community has to suffer like East Palestine again."

“Through this legislation, Congress has a real opportunity to ensure that what happened in East Palestine will never happen again. We owe every American the peace of mind that their community is protected from a catastrophe of this kind,” said Senator Vance. “Action to prevent future disasters is critical, but we must never lose sight of the needs of the Ohioans living in East Palestine and surrounding communities. One day, the TV cameras will leave, and the news cycle will move on, but the needs of those Ohioans will remain. I will never stop fighting to deliver the support they need.”


“The Norfolk Southern train derailment left Pennsylvania and Ohio families, businesses, and first responders grappling with a disaster that spilled hazardous materials in their community. It shouldn’t have happened here and it shouldn’t happen anywhere else in America,” said Senator Casey.The Railway Safety Act will make freight rail safer, hold rail companies accountable for putting communities and workers in harm’s way, and protect people over profits.”

“Congress should do everything it can to ensure that what happened in East Palestine never happens again. For far too long, the rail industry, and the government agencies that regulate it, have prioritized their bottom line over safety and resiliency. This comprehensive bill would help prevent future catastrophic derailments,” said Senator Rubio.

“What happened in East Palestine was a horrific tragedy. The safety regulations governing our nation’s railroads must be updated to ensure that a disaster like this never happens again,” said Senator Hawley.

Brown has repeatedly advocated for resources for the East Palestine community and is working to hold Norfolk Southern accountable for the cleanup and to make the community whole. This week, Brown and Vance sent a letter to Administrator Michael Regan of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Director Rochelle Walensky of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urging them to ensure individuals affected by the Norfolk Southern train derailment have access to baseline medical testing.

Brown visited East Palestine earlier this month and again visited this week to host a roundtable discussion with residents, business owners, and local officials regarding their ongoing needs and concerns as they deal with the aftermath of the Norfolk Southern train derailment.

Brown’s second visit to East Palestine followed a letter he sent to the directors of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) and the U.S. EPA requesting additional information on plans to monitor East Palestine and the surrounding area for dioxins – a pollutant that can result from combustion of vinyl chloride and can be toxic to humans and animals.

Brown also sent a letter to Norfolk Southern Corporation President and CEO Alan Shaw reminding the company that as the carrier responsible for operating the derailed train, it has a legal and moral obligation to the residents of East Palestine, Ohio and Darlington Township, Pennsylvania.

Brown sent a letter to Governor Mike DeWine asking him to officially declare a disaster in East Palestine and seek the full support of the federal government to bolster the state of Ohio’s ongoing clean-up efforts. Brown led letters to NTSB and EPA raising concerns and calling on the agencies to investigate and provide assistance to the East Palestine community. He also wrote a letter to the CDC requesting the agency act immediately to provide additional assistance and resources to help the community assess and address the public health impacts of the derailment.

Additionally, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) are sponsors of the bill. 

This bill is supported by the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers’ Transportation Division (SMART-TD), the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWED), the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS), the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), The American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA),The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgeres and Helpers (IBB), the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM), the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and International Association of Machinists (IAM) .

The Railway Safety Act of 2023 would:

Enhance safety procedures for trains carrying hazardous materials by:

o   Including new safety requirements and procedures for trains carrying hazardous materials like vinyl chloride.

o   Requiring rail carriers to provide advance notification and information to state emergency response officials about what they are transporting.

o   Creating new requirements to prevent blocked railroad crossings.

o   Mitigating derailment risk with rules for train size and weight.

Increases rail car inspections to ensuring that all rail cars on train carrying hazardous materials are inspected by a qualified rail car inspector at regular intervals.

Reduce the risk of wheel bearing failures by:

o   Establishing requirements for wayside defect detectors.

o   Requiring trains carrying hazardous materials to be scanned by hotbox detectors every 10 miles.

o   Strengthening inspection requirements for rail cars of trains carrying hazardous materials.

Require well-trained two-person crews aboard every train.

Force rail carriers to face heightened fines for wrongdoing by:

o   Substantially increasing the maximum fine USDOT can issue for safety violations.

Support communities impacted by rail disasters by:

o   Expanding HAZMAT training grants for local law enforcement and first responders through increased registration fees paid by Class I railroads.

Invest in future safety improvements by:

o   Providing $22,000,000 to the Federal Railroad Administration for research and development grants regarding wayside defect detectors and other rail priorities.

o   Providing $5,000,000 to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration for expenses related to developing stronger tank car safety features.

The text of bill is HERE.

A one-pager on the bill is HERE.

A letter of support from IBEW and IAM is HERE

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