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Washington, D.C. - Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee Chairman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX) delivered opening remarks at today's hearing titled "Examining the State of Rail Safety in the Aftermath of the Derailment in East Palestine, Ohio."
"I am pleased to call this hearing today to discuss rail safety, as well as the events that occurred in East Palestine," Nehls stated. He emphasized that members had ample opportunity to review the NTSB final report and pending bipartisan legislation in both the Senate and House.
Nehls introduced the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act (RSEA) alongside Congressman Moulton. The act builds on bipartisan legislation previously marked up and passed by the Senate Commerce Committee.
The RSEA mandates all class I railroads enroll in the Confidential Close Call Reporting System for two years. This program is managed by an independent third party and allows railroad employees to report close calls and unsafe incidents.
Additionally, while periodic railcar inspections were proposed in the Senate bill, Nehls argued they were redundant after discussions with various stakeholders.
The legislation also requires state DOTs to notify first responders about the AskRail app, which provides real-time data about train consists. A pilot program aims to address connectivity issues experienced by first responders during the East Palestine incident.
Furthermore, RSEA authorizes an additional $1 billion for the Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program. Nehls quoted Ms. Homendy: "Grade crossings are among the deadliest spaces in our rail system... Better separating these systems would save thousands of lives."
The bill also allocates $100 million annually for a Federal Railroad Administration grant program to install onboard freight railcar telematics systems and gateway devices. This aims to provide shippers with real-time data about their tank cars' health and performance.
Compromises on phase-out dates for DOT 111 tank cars have been included based on industry feedback.
Nehls noted that while the Senate introduced rail safety legislation immediately following the East Palestine derailment, the House waited for the NTSB final report.
Addressing his Republican colleagues, Nehls highlighted support from President Trump and Vice Presidential nominee Senator Vance for Senator Vance's Railway Safety Act. He urged support for their bill which incorporates four key safety components: Confidential Close Call Reporting System, AskRail connectivity pilot program, telematics modernization of tank car fleets, and increased funding for railroad crossing elimination grants.
"I have read every page of the East Palestine final report," said Nehls. He stressed that evolving safety measures is essential.
Nehls extended invitations to several class I railroad CEOs to discuss their companies' positive safety policies but noted not all could attend. He praised CN’s operation in Homewood, Illinois for its state-of-the-art technologies aimed at saving lives but acknowledged more can be done.
Nehls concluded by expressing eagerness to hear witness testimonies and engage with panel questions.