Trump backs renewed push for railway safety bill
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The East Palestine train derailment sparked a fire and evacuation orders in 2023. Photo: Dustin Franz/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump is throwing his support behind an effort to improve railway safety that was written in the aftermath of the East Palestine train derailment.
Why it matters: The Railway Safety Act has lingered in Congress for over three years after the 2023 derailment, even with bipartisan support from Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Aspinwall), Democratic Sen. John Fetterman and Vice President JD Vance.
Flashback: A 38-car Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed on Feb. 3, 2023, in the small Ohio town 50 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.
- Controlled burns were conducted in the following days, sending black plumes into the air.
- Former President Biden backed this bill under his term, and it cleared a Senate committee back then but never attracted enough support to pass the filibuster and was not brought up in the Republican-controlled House.
Driving the news: Trump posted Tuesday on Truth Social that he wants all Republicans to support the Railway Safety Act's inclusion in the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill, which is set to get a committee vote this week.
- "I have long said that the horrific tragedy that beset East Palestine in 2023, along with Sleepy Joe Biden's utterly incompetent response, must NEVER happen again … We must not delay any further on this very important matter!" Trump wrote.
What's inside: The bill would require two-person crews on trains, create new safety procedures for trains carrying hazardous materials and increase the maximum fines the Department of Transportation can issue for safety violations.
What they're saying: Deluzio, who introduced the House version of the Railway Safety Act, applauded the move. "The people of Beaver County and East Palestine have waited long enough," he wrote on X on Tuesday.
- Fetterman's spokesperson Tkani Finau tells Axios that the senator supports Trump's move and looks forward to making the nation's railroads safer.
Between the lines: Bipartisan support for the bill has been growing over the years.
- Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) posted on X that he will offer the Railway Safety Act as an amendment to the transit package.
- "We must take legislative action to enhance safety programs and modernize critical protections to ensure our rail network operates safely and efficiently," he wrote.
What's next: The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee vote is scheduled for Thursday.