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Ohio Close to Passing New Rail Safety Law

Following the derailment in East Palestine, pressure has built on lawmakers to pass legislation on rail safety. Photo by Joseph Zadeh. 

Ohio Close to Passing New Rail Safety Law

By Railfan & Railroad

A bill that would require two people aboard most freight trains in the state of Ohio is on its way to the governor’s desk after passing with bipartisan support in the state legislature this week. The Associated Press reports that the bill, part of Ohio’s $13.5 billion transportation budget legislation, comes two months after a fiery train wreck in East Palestine made headlines across the state and nation. 

Besides mandating a minimum crew size, the law would require any reported defect on a train to be passed along to the crew so that they can stop and inspect it. The East Palestine wreck occurred after multiple lineside detectors noted a warm bearing but did not trigger an alarm because it had not met Norfolk Southern’s established threshold. The bill would also require the state’s public utilities and environmental agencies to report to the legislature about what type of hazardous materials are being transported by rail in the state. 

Numerous states have tried to pass minimum crew size laws, although opponents — most notably the railroads themselves — note that they may run afoul of federal law. However, that might not be the case for long as the Federal Railroad Administration considers making a new rule requiring that all freight trains have at least two people on board

This article was posted on: March 30, 2023