Minnesota State Wire

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, announced that the bipartisan Railway Safety Act has passed the Senate Commerce Committee and will now go to the full Senate for final passage. This legislation will make key updates to improve rail safety protocols, including increasing inspections on trains that carry hazardous materials, requiring rail carriers to have emergency response plans, and increasing penalties for rail companies when crashes happen.

“No family should have to fear being woken in the middle of the night and told to evacuate because of a train derailment. Derailments across the country from Raymond, Minnesota to East Palestine, Ohio underscore once again why we must pass federal rail safety legislation,” said Klobuchar. “It’s past time to put in place stronger rail safety standards and more accountability for violations. As a cosponsor of the bipartisan Railway Safety Act, I was glad to see this legislation advance and I’m working with my colleagues to make sure it becomes law.”

The bipartisan Railway Safety Act was introduced by U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and JD Vance (R-OH) following the train derailment in East Palestine in February 2023 and is cosponsored by Klobuchar as well as U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Tina Smith (D-MN). 

Original source can be found here.