Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has revealed how he plans to avert another railroad tragedy a little over a year after the catastrophic East Palestine, Ohio train derailment.
The new rule announced on Tuesday will require two-preson crews on railroads in an effort to promote safety, as opposed to the previous single-person-crew standard.
"This is a good day for the safety of rail workers, rail passengers, and every American who lives near a rail line all across this country because America's rails are safer today than they were yesterday," Buttigieg said at a news conference on Tuesday.
Buttigieg called a second crew member "vital" to train safety operations, including handling track switches and assisting in emergencies.
Prior to the announcement, he said a railroad could unilaterally decide to hire a one-person crew without checking in with the Transportation Department.
Additionally, Buttigieg highlighted the bridge collapse in Baltimore last week and reminded Americans of "what is at stake in the safety of our transportation systems."
Buttigieg said railway safety should be a "completely bipartisan, nonpartisan issue," adding that Congress "must pass it into law."
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore sent cars and construction workers into frigid waters on Mar. 26 after a cargo ship crashed into one of it's support beams. Investigators are analyzing the ship's voyage data recorder which are required to be installed on all modern vessels to preserve details about the ship and provide information to investigators after an accident.
As the port is one of the busiest in the nation, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said it is "likely" that the administration will ask Congress to add to some emergency funds. "Infrastructure is, or at least ought to be a bipartisan priority," Buttigieg declared.
In February 2023, a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio caused by a broken axle. Roughly 50 cars, including 20 carrying hazardous materials such as vinyl chloride, were affected.
While no one was injured in the incident, the incident pormpted environmental concerns and chemical fears for residents. An evacuation of residents in the impacted area soon followed.
After the train carrying toxic materials derailed and caught fire, railroad safety rose to the forefront of the public's mind throughout the country. More than $1.4 billion was allocated by the Biden administration to projects that increase railway capacity and safety, with most of the funding coming from the 2021 infrastructure legislation.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said in a statement that the projects will "make American rail safer, more reliable, and more resilient," benefiting dozens of towns where railways are situated and boosting supply linkages for the whole nation.
