Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA-08), a senior member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Congressman Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), Congressman John Rulli (R-OH-06), congressional colleagues, labor leaders, and local leaders called on Congress to pass the commonsense and bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2025.
“Three years since the disastrous Norfolk Southern train derailment, we have had our share of almost serious accidents in our region including in just recently in Stockton,” said Rep. Garamendi. ” That’s why I’m proud to co-lead the Railway Safety Act because this bill is immensely important in California, especially in the San Francisco Bay Area where we depend on rail to transport countless goods and services essential for our economy. We will continue to fight for commonsense and bipartisan reforms to make our train tracks safe. Rail safety is just too important.”
In addition to Congressman Garamendi, the event was also attended by:
-
Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01), Ranking Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
-
Michael Baldwin, President of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalman, Chairman of the Rail Labor Division of the Transportation Trades Department (AFL–CIO)
BACKGROUND:
The press conference was held yesterday, exactly three years after the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Members of Congress, community leaders, and labor leaders called on the need to implement needed railroad safety reforms. Since East Palestine, communities across the country have endured more than 200 crashes and more than 3,100 derailments, including several incidents involving hazardous materials.
The Railway Safety Act includes measures that will keep workers and communities safe, including but not limited to:
-
Increasing the types of hazardous materials subject to enhanced safety protections, such as vinyl chloride, which was involved in the Norfolk Southern derailment