Deluzio, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. - This week, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) joined fellow U.S. House members Congressmen Nick LaLota (R-NY-01), Michael Rulli (R-OH-06), and John Garamendi (D-CA-08) to introduce the Railway Safety Act of 2026. Following the disastrous Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, this bill would make freight rail safer by strengthening hazardous materials oversight, emergency response support, and rail safety standards overall. Senators John Fetterman (D-PA), Jon Husted (R-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and others introduced a Senate version of this measure on February 26th.

"Three years is a long time to wait for change. Some people, especially in Washington, seem to have forgotten about the 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment and its impact on folks in Beaver County and our neighbors in Ohio-but I haven't, and I won't," said Congressman Chris Deluzio. "I'm proud to introduce the Railway Safety Act of 2026 to keep up the fight to make rail safer. It's time to hold big, corporate railroads accountable and make life safer for people that work and live along the tracks. It's taken too long, but it's never too late to do something good: let's make 2026 the year we finally pass bipartisan, commonsense rail safety legislation into law."

"Keeping American railways safe is a core federal responsibility, which is why I'm proud to be a co-lead of the bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2026. This bill advances commonsense, practical safety reforms that help ensure our rail system works the way Americans expect it to. The East Palestine tragedy was a painful reminder of what's at stake, and we must turn those lessons into real, enforceable protections that strengthen our rail infrastructure, protect supply chains, and support good-paying union jobs for rail workers nationwide. I will keep working to make sure these safety improvements become real protections for riders and employees of the Long Island Railroad here in my district," said Rep. Nick LaLota (NY-01).

"It has been over three years since the derailment in East Palestine, and our community is still recovering from its impact," said Rep. Michael Rulli. "I appreciate my colleagues' support for this essential legislation. As the Representative for this district, I believe it is critical to protect the safety and well-being of our families, workers, and neighbors. These commonsense protections are exactly what our country needs to prevent a disaster like this from ever happening again."

"In the two years since the disastrous Norfolk Southern train derailment, there has not been a substantial effort to upgrade rail safety. That changes with the Railway Safety Act," said Congressman John Garamendi. "The Railway Safety Act of 2026is a crucial piece of legislation that will significantly enhance safety standards for freight rail services. Congress finally has an opportunity to make meaningful progress on rail safety, and the faster we pass this bill, the sooner our communities will be protected from tragedies like the Norfolk Southern accident. Let's get this passed and get to work."

The Railway Safety Act of 2026 learns from the 2023 toxic train derailment in East Palestine by incorporating NTSB recommendations into the bill. The legislation requires use of defect detectors, expands hazardous materials train safety restrictions and ensures railcars are properly inspected and maintained. It has key provisions to support first responders, reforms the Department of Transportation's (DOT) Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) programs to ensure fire departments can purchase personal protective gear, requires railroads to tell states what materials trains are carrying through their communities, and creates a program to make fire departments-like those in Beaver County that responded to the East Palestine derailment-whole after using staff, equipment, and resources in responding to a derailment.

The Railway Safety Act of 2026:

• Mandates the use of defect detection technology to make railroads stop trains when something is wrong which could have prevented the East Palestine derailment. The bill requires hotbox detectors placements an average of every 15 miles, compared to every 25 miles currently.
• Improves emergency response by notifying states about the hazardous materials being moved by freight rail through their communities and strengthening railroad emergency response plans.
• Expands the list of hazardous materials that require higher safety standards, like vinyl chloride carried by the East Palestine train, and require speed restrictions, better braking and route risk analysis.
• Prevents improper railcar inspections and adds a new requirement that ensures railcars are properly maintained. It's been shown that Norfolk Southern recommends only 30-seconds for railcar safety inspections.
• Increases civil penalties for rail safety law violations from $100,000 to $10 million to ensure safety laws are taken seriously.
• Requires a minimum of two crewmembers to operate a train to prevent a situation where only one person is on the train in an emergency.
• Ensures firefighters are made whole after responding to major derailments. The Department of Transportation can reimburse first responders for overtime, equipment costs, and health care assessments.
• Expands the existing Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness grants to allow fire departments more funding to buy the personal protective gear that keeps them safe.

The legislation is supported by unions across the country. Many organizations shared statements of support for the introduction of the Railway Safety Act of 2026.

"As America's largest transportation labor federation, proudly representing the nation's skilled freight rail workers, we have continually sought federal legislative and regulatory action on commonsense rail safety measures. We commend Congressmen Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Mike Rulli (R-OH), Nick LaLota (R-NY), and John Garamendi (D-CA) for leading re-introduction of the bipartisan Railway Safety Act in the House. It's unacceptable that communities across the country have endured more than 3,100 derailments since the 2023 toxic Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Rail workers and communities living near railroad tracks deserve the peace of mind that Congress will take action on commonsense reforms and move us towards a safer rail network," said Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO.

"Train derailments are preventable, and we applaud the bipartisan work of Congressmen Deluzio, LaLota, Rulli and Garamendi to protect our communities and neighborhoods by advancing the Railway Safety Actin the House," said Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities. "Congress must embrace its important oversight role on rail so that more than 12,000 cities, towns and villages across America do not have to worry if their community will be the site of the next rail disaster."

"Counties across America are essential partners in enhancing the safety and efficiency of our nation's freight rail infrastructure. The Railway Safety Act of 2026takes critical steps to enhance rail safety, protect residents and ensure our transportation network supports both economic growth and public well-being. Counties urge Congress to swiftly pass this legislation on a bipartisan basis," said Matthew Chase, National Association of Counties Executive Director.

"On behalf of the BLET, it's an honor to recognize Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-PA, 17th District), Nick LaLota (R-NY, 1st District), Michael Rulli (R-OH, 6th District), and John Garamendi (D-CA, 8th District) for sponsoring the Railway Safety Act of 2026. The Railway Safety Actcuts across party lines to ensure carriers follow commonsense rules, including two-person crews, set standards for defect detectors, safer requirements for inspections and hazardous materials notifications, and increased penalties for violations. Railroads have proven time and again that they can't be trusted to implement these necessary changes on their own. It's up to Congress to make them happen. That will only happen with the Railway Safety Act of 2026. We look forward to working with leaders from both parties in both chambers of Congress to pass the Railway Safety Actand keep our communities and our crews safe." - Teamsters Rail Conference and BLET National President Mark Wallace.

"It is a positive sign that the House and Senate are both working to improve freight rail safety standards," said TWU International President John Samuelsen. "This bill holds greedy railroad executives accountable when they put short-term profits over the safety of hardworking TWU members. The TWU strongly endorses the Railway Safety Act of 2026and urges the House and Senate to pass it as quickly as possible."

"IAM Rail Division members see firsthand the consequences of precision-scheduled railroading and Wall Street-driven cost cutting that have hollowed out safety practices across this industry. This legislation restores common-sense safety standards by ensuring that trained, qualified railroaders - not the lowest-cost alternative - are performing critical inspections. Our members have been raising these concerns for years. Congress must move swiftly to advance this bill and put safety ahead of corporate profits," said Josh Hartford, Special Assistant to the International President for the IAM Rail Division.

"I'd like to thank Reps. Deluzio, LaLota, Rulli, and Garamendi for introducing the Railway Safety Actin the House," said Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM) National President Matt Hollis. "TCU has been advocating for this legislation for years. It's time for Congress to act and pass this bill to not only ensure our members can perform the jobs they are trained to do, but to improve the safety and reduce the risk of another East Palestine for every community that our trains roll through."

"This legislation is important to every Carman at every Class I railroad," said Brotherhood of Railway Carmen Division General President Don Grissom. "Every safety-sensitive industry knows how important it is to have the right person doing the right job. This bill does just that. Right this minute we have unsafe trains that have not been properly inspected rolling through communities. Statistically, it is very likely that either today or tomorrow there will be a derailment in this country that could've been prevented if our Carmen are simply allowed to do their job. That should scare the hell out of everyone. It's time for Congress to step in."

"Rail safety depends on strong standards and regular, thorough inspections performed by highly trained, qualified mechanical inspectors," said Kenny Cooper, International President of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. "Since 2023, the IBEW has strongly supported the Railway Safety Actand efforts to strengthen inspection requirements that protect workers and communities. We commend Representative Chris Deluzio for his continued leadership in advancing meaningful reforms that improve safety across the rail network."

Read the full text of the bill here.

Read a summary of the bill here.

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