SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
This video screenshot released by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) shows the site of a derailed freight train in East Palestine, Ohio, the United States.
(Photo: NTSB/Handout via Xinhua)
Biden Announces 'Long Overdue' Rail Safety Rules Despite Industry Objections
"Safety improvements have come too slowly to the railroads but it is great to be finally working with an administration that is listening to workers," said one Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen leader.
Apr 02, 2024
The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that at least two people will now have to be on board of the trains of the country's largest freight operators, which drew backlash from the industry and praise from safety advocates.
The new rule is a response to a train derailment that caused an environmental hazard in East Palestine, Ohio last year. The train derailment caused a spill of toxic chemicals, and a fire ensued.
The Transport Workers Union of America celebrated the new rule.
The TWU applauds @USDOT requiring two-person crews on every freight train. TWU Rail Division Representative Brian DeLucia and Political & Legislative Rep Heather Laverty joined @SecretaryPete. @twusamuelsen said the "Final rule is essential for safety and is long overdue." pic.twitter.com/FrdfEjxOHY
— TWU (@transportworker) April 2, 2024
"Safety improvements have come too slowly to the railroads but it is great to be finally working with an administration that is listening to workers," said Vince Verna, vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.
Rail companies have argued that the new rule will not improve safety since the administration proposed it in 2022. The president of the Association of American Railroads called it "unfounded and unnecessary regulation."
Even before derailments in East Palestine and Sandusky, Ohio, I supported efforts to mandate a two-person train crew to improve safety for rail workers. I applaud @POTUS, the @USDOT, and the @USDOTFRA for taking this important step forward for rail safety. https://t.co/uWtHjZe9i8
— Rep. Marcy Kaptur (@RepMarcyKaptur) April 2, 2024
"Going forward, we have a new rule on the books to make sure every train is staffed safely," Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg tweeted.
Legislation aimed at improving rail safety has stalled in Congress since the derailment in East Palestine.
"Some of the same Republican representatives and senators who were loudest in professing outrage over that derailment one year ago are uncharacteristically avoiding comment right now, now that their votes are needed to pass this into law," Buttigieg said.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) tweeted on Tuesday that the country "must pass our bipartisan rail safety bill to make these changes permanent."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that at least two people will now have to be on board of the trains of the country's largest freight operators, which drew backlash from the industry and praise from safety advocates.
The new rule is a response to a train derailment that caused an environmental hazard in East Palestine, Ohio last year. The train derailment caused a spill of toxic chemicals, and a fire ensued.
The Transport Workers Union of America celebrated the new rule.
The TWU applauds @USDOT requiring two-person crews on every freight train. TWU Rail Division Representative Brian DeLucia and Political & Legislative Rep Heather Laverty joined @SecretaryPete. @twusamuelsen said the "Final rule is essential for safety and is long overdue." pic.twitter.com/FrdfEjxOHY
— TWU (@transportworker) April 2, 2024
"Safety improvements have come too slowly to the railroads but it is great to be finally working with an administration that is listening to workers," said Vince Verna, vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.
Rail companies have argued that the new rule will not improve safety since the administration proposed it in 2022. The president of the Association of American Railroads called it "unfounded and unnecessary regulation."
Even before derailments in East Palestine and Sandusky, Ohio, I supported efforts to mandate a two-person train crew to improve safety for rail workers. I applaud @POTUS, the @USDOT, and the @USDOTFRA for taking this important step forward for rail safety. https://t.co/uWtHjZe9i8
— Rep. Marcy Kaptur (@RepMarcyKaptur) April 2, 2024
"Going forward, we have a new rule on the books to make sure every train is staffed safely," Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg tweeted.
Legislation aimed at improving rail safety has stalled in Congress since the derailment in East Palestine.
"Some of the same Republican representatives and senators who were loudest in professing outrage over that derailment one year ago are uncharacteristically avoiding comment right now, now that their votes are needed to pass this into law," Buttigieg said.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) tweeted on Tuesday that the country "must pass our bipartisan rail safety bill to make these changes permanent."
The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that at least two people will now have to be on board of the trains of the country's largest freight operators, which drew backlash from the industry and praise from safety advocates.
The new rule is a response to a train derailment that caused an environmental hazard in East Palestine, Ohio last year. The train derailment caused a spill of toxic chemicals, and a fire ensued.
The Transport Workers Union of America celebrated the new rule.
The TWU applauds @USDOT requiring two-person crews on every freight train. TWU Rail Division Representative Brian DeLucia and Political & Legislative Rep Heather Laverty joined @SecretaryPete. @twusamuelsen said the "Final rule is essential for safety and is long overdue." pic.twitter.com/FrdfEjxOHY
— TWU (@transportworker) April 2, 2024
"Safety improvements have come too slowly to the railroads but it is great to be finally working with an administration that is listening to workers," said Vince Verna, vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.
Rail companies have argued that the new rule will not improve safety since the administration proposed it in 2022. The president of the Association of American Railroads called it "unfounded and unnecessary regulation."
Even before derailments in East Palestine and Sandusky, Ohio, I supported efforts to mandate a two-person train crew to improve safety for rail workers. I applaud @POTUS, the @USDOT, and the @USDOTFRA for taking this important step forward for rail safety. https://t.co/uWtHjZe9i8
— Rep. Marcy Kaptur (@RepMarcyKaptur) April 2, 2024
"Going forward, we have a new rule on the books to make sure every train is staffed safely," Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg tweeted.
Legislation aimed at improving rail safety has stalled in Congress since the derailment in East Palestine.
"Some of the same Republican representatives and senators who were loudest in professing outrage over that derailment one year ago are uncharacteristically avoiding comment right now, now that their votes are needed to pass this into law," Buttigieg said.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) tweeted on Tuesday that the country "must pass our bipartisan rail safety bill to make these changes permanent."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.