America’s cities agree with Vice President Vance that America “to do better on rail safety in this country.” It has been two years since the tragic derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, impacting thousands of residents in Ohio, Pennsylvania and far beyond. Yet, this was not an isolated incident. The Norfolk Southern derailment is just one of more than 4,000 derailments that communities have experienced since 2020.
Support for Rail Safety Legislation
Vice President Vance committed to further action for East Palestine but also for rail safety more broadly, saying, “I think that we can say with confidence that the President shares my view that we need common sense rail safety, and yes that is something we are going to work on over the next couple years.”
Congress is now moving on a bipartisan rail safety bill with U.S. Representatives Emilia Strong Sykes (OH-13) and Mike Rulli (OH-06), reintroducing the Reducing Accidents in Locomotives (RAIL) Act. Additionally, U.S. Representatives Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), Nick LaLota (R-NY-01), Michael Rulli (R-OH-06) and John Garamendi (D-CA-08) rolled out an updated Railway Safety Act with additional safety recommendations in the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) final report on the derailment.
NLC will continue to support rail safety legislation that can make a difference for all communities with railroads in their boundaries. On the introduction of this legislation, National League of Cities President Steve Patterson, Mayor of Athens, Ohio, shared our support with the following statement:
“More than 4,000 trains have derailed since 2020, and two years have passed since the devastating train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. We urge Congress to turn rail safety measures into law and protect more than 12,000 cities, towns and villages with rail tracks running through their backyards, main streets and next to their schools and businesses. I stand with local leaders across the country asking Congress to act before the next rail tragedy strikes their community.”
What Congress is Saying
“It’s been two years since Norfolk Southern’s disastrous derailment in East Palestine, and communities that are close to the tracks are no safer now than they were on the day of that terrifying derailment,” said Congressman Deluzio. “We know we cannot trust the big railroads to regulate themselves. That’s why this Congress we have to pass strong rail safety requirements and implement the safety recommendations from the NTSB. We have a bipartisan solution on the table, and now is the time for all who are serious about protecting our communities to step up. I refuse to let communities like ours in Western PA get treated like collateral damage in the way of corporate profits.”
“Public safety is a nonpartisan issue that transcends political and district boundaries, which is why I am proud to reintroduce this improved common-sense legislation to prevent future train derailment disasters like we have seen in East Palestine and across the United States,” said Rep. Emilia Sykes, Vice Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “Two full years have passed since this tragic and preventable disaster uprooted the lives of the people of East Palestine and neighboring communities, and Congress has not passed legislation to prevent this from happening again in the future. The people of East Palestine deserve better, and I hope the majority does right by the people of this country and prioritizes rail safety.”
“As the congressman for East Palestine, I witnessed firsthand the devastation caused by the Norfolk Southern derailment and the toll it took on our community. We are taking vital steps to protect the people of East Palestine and all those living near our nation’s railways. This legislation is about more than just policy—it’s about ensuring the safety of American families, preventing future tragedies, and the well-being of our communities,” said Rep. Mike Rulli.
“Two years since the disastrous Norfolk Southern train derailment, there is finally a bipartisan solution that puts the safety of Americans first,” said Representative Garamendi. “That’s why I’m proud to co-lead the Railway Safety Act, a crucial piece of legislation that will significantly enhance the safety standards for freight rail services. The faster Congress can pass this bipartisan bill, the safer our railways will be. I am committed to fighting for policies that will ensure that disasters like the East Palestine train derailment never happens again.”
“I think that this community will build back stronger, and part of that is because of the leadership of [Mayor Conaway] and of course the great firefighters. I know that a lot of you took it upon yourself to make sure this community thrived and survived in the wake of that disaster.”
– Vice President Vance
Derailments Impact in Communities
Any city leader who has been in a community with a rail disaster echoes a familiar message: no community should have to experience these tragedies.
The National League of Cities believes no community should have to accept the risks of train derailments when NTSB’s safety experts are telling Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation that there are clear solutions. If you agree, please take a minute to send a letter on rail safety letter to your Senators and Member of Congress.
We continue to see derailments that deserve more national attention. Recently, derailments have happened in places like: Matteson, IL; Niagara Falls, NY; Bethlehem, PA; Adrian, OH; Grants, NM and Holbrook, AZ; Springfield, OH; and Big Lake, MN, to name only a few.
Read the Report
See NTSB’s Rail Safety Recommendations summary on East Palestine.
See Your Rail Derailment Risk
Zoom in to see your community’s rail safety risk on NLC’s train derailment map.
About the Author
Democratizing Safety in Newark: The Brick City Peace Collective
- Ian Grice
From Data to Action: Developing and Using Public Safety Dashboards for Cities
Creating Safe Quiet Zones
From Application to Implementation: How the Local Infrastructure Hub is Empowering Cities Across America
- Katie Dailinger
Housing for Returning Citizens in Small Cities: Challenges and Solutions
- Tony McCright, Jr.
