U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg recently penned an op-ed, published in TIME, addressing the urgent need to improve the nation's railroad system. This comes in response to a train derailment that occurred in East Palestine, Ohio. Buttigieg also appealed to Congress to enact comprehensive legislation that would enforce industry accountability towards workers and communities nationwide through the bipartisan Railway Safety Act.
In his article, Buttigieg said, "Ever since the derailment of a freight train and its aftermath last year in East Palestine, Ohio, Americans have been awakened to the troubled reality of rail safety. While the headlines around that incident have faded, the Biden Administration’s commitment to action has not. When President Biden visited, his message to the community was clear: we will stay as long as it takes, we will continue to hold Norfolk Southern accountable, and we will push the entire industry to be safer."
According to a DOT news release, Buttigieg continued by praising the resilience of the community and mentioned his ongoing communication with city leaders. He identified two key themes emerging from this tragedy: "their determination not to be defined by this derailment, and their insistence that the community‘s experience not be forgotten." Consequently, he stressed his belief that Congress must provide provisions for communities reliant on railroads for their prosperity.
Buttigieg further highlighted some actions taken by his department saying: "My department has pushed forward on safety measures, including last week’s major announcement that our Federal Railroad Administration finalized a long-sought rule to establish minimum safety requirements for the size of train crews." He expressed surprise at public ignorance regarding crew sizes on trains stating: "Most Americans would be surprised to learn that before this rule, there was nothing to prevent a railroad from unilaterally reducing the crew size aboard a train to just one person—even on a two-mile-long train—without even notifying our department. Fixing this has long been a railroad safety priority, and despite industry opposition, it is finally a reality."
