Congressional approval of the proposed Railway Safety Act is being described by supporters as the most significant federal rail-safety effort since the 2023 East Palestine, Ohio derailment. The legislation includes several important safety improvements that many communities, labor unions, and emergency responders have demanded for years.
Among the positive changes are requirements for at least two crew members on many freight trains, expanded inspection requirements, and additional safeguards for trains carrying hazardous materials. The bill also increases use of hot-bearing detectors designed to identify overheating wheel bearings before catastrophic failures occur. Supporters argue these measures could reduce derailments, improve emergency response, and strengthen accountability across the freight rail industry.
However, critics argue the legislation still leaves some of the rail industry’s biggest safety concerns unresolved.
One of the largest complaints is that the bill does not impose federal limits on extremely long freight “mega-trains.” Opponents warn these trains can be more difficult to brake, inspect, and safely operate. They also block road crossings longer, delay emergency responders, and can increase the severity of derailments involving hazardous chemicals.
Critics also argue the legislation does not fully address operational practices associated with Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR), a business model linked to workforce reductions, tighter inspection schedules, and aggressive cost-cutting measures. Labor unions and watchdog groups argue those practices have reduced redundancy and increased system-wide risk.
Additional concerns remain about loopholes in hazardous-material classifications, continued reliance on railroad self-inspection systems, and limited public transparency regarding dangerous cargo moving through local communities.
Supporters say the bill is an important first step toward improving rail safety nationwide. Critics counter that while the legislation may make railroads somewhat safer, it stops short of the broader reforms many communities believed were necessary after East Palestine. For many Americans living near major freight corridors, the debate over rail safety is far from over.
Contact your members of Congress and ask lawmakers to close loopholes in the Railway Safety Act by imposing federal mega-train length limits, strengthening hazardous-material transparency, expanding independent inspections, increasing penalties for violations, and giving communities greater authority to protect residents along freight corridors.
Image by Gerri Songer