Christopher Deluzio

05/21/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/21/2026 15:14

Deluzio Statement on Advancing His ‘Railway Safety Act’ Through Must-Pass Transportation Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee member Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) successfully had his bill the Railway Safety Act amended into the BUILD America 250 Act-a major transportation bill.

Congressman Deluzio represents the Pennsylvania region impacted by the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio; he first introduced this bill in 2023 and has been leading on rail safety since. Congress has not passed any rail safety legislation since the February 2023 derailment, but the inclusion of the Railway Safety Act within the must-pass Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act is the most momentum that rail safety has seen in years.

Congressman Deluzio worked with Republican Congressman Troy Nehls (R-TX-22) to get the votes to pass the Nehls-Deluzio amendment, which inserted the Railway Safety Act into the bill. It passed 54-11.

"The people of Beaver County and East Palestine have waited long enough," said Congressman Deluzio. "I am so proud that my bill the Railway Safety Act passed out of committee with bipartisan support. Let's get this bill passed and signed into law."

A photo of Congressman Deluzio celebrating the passage of the amendment is here.

The Nehls-Deluzio amendment encompasses Deluzio's Railway Safety Act of 2026, which does the following:

  • 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
  • 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 Railway Safety Act is supported by many of unions representing America's rail workers.

Congressman Deluzio has been the leading voice for rail safety in the House of Representatives since the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine-just across from Beaver County, PA-on February 3, 2023.

His more than three-year fight for rail safety includes:

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Christopher Deluzio published this content on May 21, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 21, 2026 at 21:14 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]