As House Republicans Push an Extreme Budget That Slashes Rail Safety Inspections, USDOT Highlights New Efforts to Keep Communities Safe and Hold the Rail Industry Accountable

Following the Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, USDOT has pushed a set of sweeping reforms to rail safety and called on Congress to support a budget that improves critical rail infrastructure and ensures rail inspections continue without interruption

Washington, DC— As part of its ongoing work to protect the American public, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration laid out a new round of steps focused on the safety and accountability of the freight rail industry. In recent days, FRA has issued two safety advisories to railroad companies—one regarding the length of trains, which can be more than one or two miles long; and another on weight distribution of railcars and how that affects the risk of derailment. FRA has also issued a new report summarizing rail safety violations in 2022, and it completed safety training with personnel from around the country, an important opportunity to share updated safety practices.

Meanwhile, House Republicans recently passed legislation that would cut discretionary spending by 22%, which would lead to nearly 7,500 fewer rail safety inspection days and over 30,000 fewer miles of track inspected annually—enough track to cross the United States nearly 10 times. By contrast President Biden's FY2024 Budget calls for an investment of more than $1 billion to expand USDOT's core rail safety efforts and improve critical infrastructure.

USDOT's ongoing work to improve rail safety includes:

Background:

Investigators from USDOT's FRA and PHMSA were on the ground within hours of the Norfolk Southern Railway train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 3, 2023. The agencies are supporting the investigation being led by the National Transportation Safety Board, an independent agency. For more on the federal response and jurisdiction, including the U.S. Environmental Protection's work to address air, water, and soil quality, see here.

To get the latest information on the investigation, please visit NTSB's website.

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