Bipartisan Senate committee moves Railway Safety Act forward

May 10 (UPI) -- New legislation that would reform rules governing railroads successfully passed through a bipartisan committee Wednesday and now heads to the Senate floor for a full vote.

The Railway Safety Act was passed by a 16-11 vote by the bipartisan Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

The bill would require railway operators to undertake a number of safety improvements and was co-sponsored by both Ohio senators as a response to the catastrophic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio in February.

"What happened in East Palestine cannot be undone ... We cannot undo the psychological, economic, and physical toll of the derailment in East Palestine. But I guarantee you ... there will be another East Palestine in this country if we do not pass the Railway Safety Act," Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, said during the committee meeting.

Vance was joined by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and every other Democrat on the committee, as well as Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.

The legislation outlines several safety improvements, including mandating two-person train crews, which has been advocated for by rail-worker unions for some time but which has faced pushback from railroad companies. It was a demand during collective bargaining that almost led to a strike, which was averted after President Joe Biden helped broker a deal.

The Railway Safety Act also calls for more so-called "hot-box" detectors, which monitor the heat being generated from the wheels of a train. The Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine was overheated at the time of the crash because of a faulty wheel bearing.

The bill would reduce the maximum allowable distance between the detectors from 25 miles to 15.

"We learned from the East Palestine derailment that the improvement of detectors could help prevent ... future derailments. This legislation requires, for the first time, railroads to use these defect detectors with more frequency," Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who chairs the Commerce Committee, said Wednesday.

Biden has endorsed the legislation, which will now head to the floor for a vote by the full Senate.

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney also recently gave the bill his public backing.

On the evening of Feb. 3, a freight train operated by Norfolk Southern derailed in East Palestine, spilling toxic chemicals in the small town and the surrounding area, contaminating air, soil, and water. Fires burned for days following the crash, and several of the 38 freight cars released phosgene and hydrogen chloride into the air.

The company later agreed to pay millions in cleanup fees, and CEO Alan Shaw issued an apology while testifying in front of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in March.

At the time, Brown and other lawmakers criticized the Atlanta-based railroad for cutting its workforce and putting profits ahead of safety practices.