Since the toxic derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train in eastern Ohio on Feb. 3, Democrats and Republicans have pointed fingers at each other about the disaster and subsequent derailments. Yet bi-partisan cooperation on railroad safety legislation has emerged in both chambers on Capitol Hill.
Following the Railway Safety Act of 2023 announced by Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) on March 1, Ohio Reps. Bill Johnson (R) and Emilia Sykes (D) introduced the Reducing Accidents in Locomotives (RAIL) Act on March 17. If passed and signed into law, the legislation would mandate new rail safety measures and charge financial penalties if railroads do not meet the requirements.
