Senator Marshall Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Improve Railway Safety
Washington – On Tuesday, U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Senator Jon Husted (R-Ohio) in introducing the bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2026. The bill uses real-time data to implement improvements to rail safety regulations.
“Railroads are vital to Kansas. They move our crops, power our economy, and connect our rural communities to the world. But with that responsibility comes a duty to operate safely,” said Senator Marshall. “The Railway Safety Act incorporates lessons learned from the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and ensures stronger safeguards and meaningful accountability for violations.”
“Three years ago, many Ohioans understandably lost faith in the safety and reliability of our nation’s railways after the accident in East Palestine, Ohio. Since then, we have learned valuable lessons about the necessity of extensive consultation with the rail industry, emergency responders and local communities. By using a balanced, data-driven approach to advancing rail safety, my bill would protect Ohio’s communities while supporting the freight rail industry across the country,” said Senator Husted.
This legislation would:
- Improve emergency response by notifying states about hazardous materials transported through their communities and strengthening railroad emergency response plans.
- Ensure firefighters are reimbursed for overtime, equipment costs, and health care assessments after responding to major derailments.
- Expand Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness grants, allowing fire departments to purchase critical protective gear.
- Mandate defect detection technology to halt trains when safety issues arise; hotbox detectors must be deployed every 15 miles instead of every 25.
- Expand the list of hazardous materials subject to higher safety standards, including vinyl chloride, with stricter speed restrictions, braking requirements, and route risk analysis.
- Prevent improper railcar inspections by requiring proper maintenance of all railcars.
- Require two crewmembers on trains to ensure safety in emergencies.
Full text of the bill is available here.
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Contact: Payton Fuller
